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Electricity production of Tahiti in the Pacific

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Electricity production of Tahiti in the Pacific

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Around 60 % of the electricity on the island of Tahiti is produced by thermal plants using fossil fuels. The hydropower plants installed around the island allows an average annual electricity production of 35%.
Solar energy (PV) only represents 5% of the annual production.

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Turkey's vision for 2023 includes:o Raising the total installed power capacity over 100 GWo Increasing the share of renewables to 30 per cento Maximizing the use of hydropowero Increasing installed capacity based on wind power to 20 GW (an additional 15 GW)o Installing power plants that will provide 600 MW of geothermal and 5 GW of solar energy o Significantly enlarging the transmission capacity of the high voltage grido Reaching a power distribution unit capacity of 158,460 MVAo Extending the use of smart gridso Raising the natural gas storage capacity to 5 billion m3o Establishing an energy stock exchangeo Commissioning nuclear power plants (two operational with a third under construction)o Increasing coal-fired installed capacity from the current 14.5 GW to 30 GW [Turkey: Dynamic energy market offers plentiful power opportunities, Kelvin Ross, 03/24/2016, http://www.powerengineeringint.com/articles/print/volume-24/issue-3/features/dynamic-market-offers-plentiful-opportunities.html]

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Turkey's vision for 2023 includes:o Raising the total installed power capacity over 100 GWo Increasing the share of renewables to 30 per cento Maximizing the use of hydropowero Increasing installed capacity based on wind power to 20 GW (an additional 15 GW)o Installing power plants that will provide 600 MW of geothermal and 5 GW of solar energy o Significantly enlarging the transmission capacity of the high voltage grido Reaching a power distribution unit capacity of 158,460 MVAo Extending the use of smart gridso Raising the natural gas storage capacity to 5 billion m3o Establishing an energy stock exchangeo Commissioning nuclear power plants (two operational with a third under construction)o Increasing coal-fired installed capacity from the current 14.5 GW to 30 GW [Turkey: Dynamic energy market offers plentiful power opportunities, Kelvin Ross, 03/24/2016, http://www.powerengineeringint.com/articles/print/volume-24/issue-3/features/dynamic-market-offers-plentiful-opportunities.html]

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The UK government is slashing renewable energy subsidies while shamelessly subsidising nuclear and promoting fracking.

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The UK government is slashing renewable energy subsidies while shamelessly subsidising nuclear and promoting fracking.

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A sudden, unexpected cut to a renewable energy subsidy by the Government in the days following the Brexit referendum result has been condemned by the industry and farmers.

The decision was announced by the Department for Energy and Climate Change (DECC) just days before it was abolished and came into force just three weeks later on 1 August.

The Renewable Energy Association said investments in combined heat and power (CHP) projects totalling some £140m had been put at risk.

Persuading people to invest in energy generation is largely reliant on providing a degree of certainty that there will be a return, with subsidies a key part of that picture, whether the power comes from renewable sources or fossil fuel plants.

James Court, head of policy at the Renewable Energy Association (REA), said: "The abrupt cut in support significantly impacts the biomass CHP industry.

"It is the suddenness and the lack of consultation that is the core issue here. Over £140m worth of investment is affected by this change, with a planned renewable energy capacity totalling 203 megawatts [MW] of heat and 20MW of power."

He said the industry had been preparing for a new tariff structure from spring 2017, as had been flagged up in a recent consultation.

"But no one was warned about this change," Mr Court said.

"The industry has invested in good faith in these projects, some which have been in preparation and construction for up to two years. Over £22m has been paid in non-refundable deposits.

"This unexpected cut will prove damaging to investor confidence."

The REA surveyed 36 companies developing biomass CHP plants in the UK about the Government's decision to change the way Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) payments are made.

Essentially it means that plants which turn less than 20 per cent of their fuel to produce electricity would receive a lower subsidy on sliding scale.

"Of the companies surveyed, 92 per cent stated that the changes will a negative or very negative impact on their projects," Mr Court said.

"This significantly reduces the likelihood that many companies and investors will be keen to invest in this low-carbon technology in the future.

"We are therefore calling on BEIS [the new Department of Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy] to withdraw the amendment until a proper consultation has been launched to examine the impact on these projects, or introduce a grace period for those who can demonstrate that they have already made a significant financial commitment."

The National Farmers Union also criticised the cut. A number of farmers have built CHP plants to utilise biomass that is a byproduct of agriculture.

Jonathan Scurlock, the NFU's chief adviser on renewable energy and climate change, wrote on its website: "Industry was given only 21 days' notice, and neither DECC nor the new BEIS formally consulted with the relevant industry trade associations or other stakeholders.

"The NFU strongly contests these regulatory changes because of the manner in which they have been applied, leaving no opportunity for heavily committed projects to complete commissioning and, therefore, severely disadvantaging these investments.

"This change also discourages low-carbon innovation, for example, the addition of ... small CHP systems to biomass heating for livestock housing and horticulture, where the optimum balance of electricity and heat is demonstrably less than 20 per cent."

The NFU has raised the matter with Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Secretary Andrea Leadsom and also written to Energy Minister Baroness Neville-Rolfe.

A BEIS spokesperson said: "These changes have been made to close a loophole in existing regulations. RHI subsidies are paid for by the taxpayer and it is therefore only right that they are fair and give good value for money.

"Previously, companies could get double the amount of subsidy by generating electricity as well as heat, even if the amount of electricity they were producing was very small.

"The changes mean that companies will receive payments that better reflect the amount of electricity they actually produce."

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Government sneaked out a renewable energy subsidy cut just days after Brexit

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A sudden, unexpected cut to a renewable energy subsidy by the Government in the days following the Brexit referendum result has been condemned by the industry and farmers. The decision was announced by the Department for Energy and Climate Change (DECC) just days before it was abolished and came into force just three weeks later on 1 August.

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http://reneweconomy.com.au/spain-looks-to-re-boot-renewables-as-economy-recovers-83799/

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Shell goes from fossile energy source to wind power.  

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Shell goes from fossile energy source to wind power.  

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http://nos.nl/artikel/2148050-shell-bouwt-megawindpark-met-stroom-voor-1-miljoen-huishoudens.html

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De plannen voor de windmolenparken komen voort uit het Energieakkoord. Daarin heeft de regering met het bedrijfsleven afspraken gemaakt over de te behalen milieuwinst met windenergie.

De Nederlandse windparken behoren straks tot de grootste van Europa. In 2023 moeten ze gebouwd zijn. Samen wekken ze dan genoeg stroom op voor in totaal 5 miljoen huishoudens. Op het geheel van de Nederlandse energiebehoefte is dat echter nog altijd bescheiden. Volgens informatie van de rijksoverheid wordt in 2023 ruim 3 procent van alle energie opgewekt door windmolens op zee.

Kostendaling

Wat betreft de kosten gaat de ontwikkeling echter snel. In totaal had de regering 18 miljard euro gereserveerd voor windparken op zee. Maar de totale kosten voor de overheid lijken uit te komen op zo'n 6 miljard euro, een enorme besparing.

Het windpark van Shell en zijn partners wordt veel goedkoper, maar ook Borssele 1 en 2 van het Deense Dong wordt bijna 3 miljard euro goedkoper dan gedacht. Daarmee wordt het volgens minister Kamp het goedkoopste windpark ter wereld.

Greenpeace is in een reactie opgetogen. "De spectaculaire kostendaling van wind op zee gaat maar door, net als bij wind op land en zon. Goed nieuws voor de strijd tegen klimaatverandering en des te meer reden om nu door te pakken: de planning van een extra windpark op zee", zegt een woordvoerder van de milieuorganisatie.

De aanleg van vijf nieuwe windparken betekent ook veel nieuwe werkgelegenheid. Eerder al zei het ministerie te verwachten dat de productie, de bouw, het onderzoek en het bijbehorende beleid samen zullen leiden tot 10.000 nieuwe banen.

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Shell bouwt megawindpark met stroom voor 1 miljoen huishoudens

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De plannen voor de windmolenparken komen voort uit het Energieakkoord. Daarin heeft de regering met het bedrijfsleven afspraken gemaakt over de te behalen milieuwinst met windenergie. De Nederlandse windparken behoren straks tot de grootste van Europa. In 2023 moeten ze gebouwd zijn. Samen wekken ze dan genoeg stroom op voor in totaal 5 miljoen huishoudens.

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Page from Solving the Energy Puzzle - University of Groningen

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Learn how to analyse energy transition cases from technological, legal, economics, spatial, and social perspectives.

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In the Netherlands there are early steps/pilots in order to use the battery of an EV (electric vehicle) as energy storage for the Home or office. Or to balance the energy in the grid (called Vehicle to Grid of Vehicle t home). Biggest challenge seems to be the car industry; ie let the car be able to be the energy source of the home. Does anyone has exeperience to share?

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Poland signed up to the Paris climate agreement on Thursday, ending doubts that the coal-dependent nation might defy other European Union members that have endorsed the shift away from fossil fuels.

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67% the population still rely on wood & other biomass for cooking & heating in rural areas.Even in urban & peri-urban areas reliance on firewood as the primary source of energy for cooking & heating is still prevalent.

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67% the population still rely on wood & other biomass for cooking & heating in rural areas.Even in urban & peri-urban areas reliance on firewood as the primary source of energy for cooking & heating is still prevalent.

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General Electric (GE) plans to set up 500MW of Solar PV in Nigeria

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General Electric (GE) plans to set up 500MW of Solar PV in Nigeria

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https://cleantechnica.com/2016/12/05/ge-will-set-500-mw-solar-pv-nigeria/

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The first focus should be on energy reduction instead of renewable energy production.

https://www.rvo.nl/sites/default/files/Infoblad%20Trias%20Energetica%20en%20energieneutraal%20bouwen-juni%202013.pdf

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https://theconversation.com/despite-the-hype-batteries-arent-the-cheapest-way-to-store-energy-on-the-grid-68417

Report http://www.birmingham.ac.uk/Documents/college-eps/energy/research/CLCF-Pathwaysforenergystorage,2012.pdf

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Energie opslag wordt steeds belangrijker om efficiënt vraag variatie op te vangen en goed gebruik te maken van opgewekte energie
http://nos.nl/artikel/2118256-te-veel-zonnepanelen-in-groningen.html

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In verschillende gemeenten in Groningen staan te veel huizen met zonnepanelen. Wanneer de daarmee opgewekte stroom wordt teruggeleverd aan het energienet, kan het systeem overbelast raken en op dat moment levert het systeem geen zonne-energie meer op.

Het aantal zonnepanelen in het aardbevingsgebied in Groningen is het afgelopen jaar gestegen met 30 procent. Dat komt door een financiële bijdrage van de NAM. Huishoudens met schade door aardbevingen kregen een bedrag van 4000 euro. Dat konden ze besteden aan energiebesparende of energie opwekkende maatregelen.

Netspanning

De problemen ontstaan op het moment dat de zon behoorlijk schijnt. Als de installaties energie terug willen geven aan het elektriciteitsnet, loopt de netspanning op en schakelen de installaties zichzelf uit. Dat kost de bezitters van zonnepanelen niet alleen geld, het is ook niet goed voor de productie van groene stroom.

"Er staat regelmatig een te hoge spanning op het net, waardoor omvormers van zonne-installaties zichzelf uitschakelen" zegt Rolf van der Tuuk van installatiebedrijf Vaatstra in Bedum. "Soms gaan ze honderden keren per dag aan en uit. Mensen bellen ons dan om te zeggen dat hun installatie niet goed werkt, maar wij kunnen daar niet zoveel aan doen."

Netbeheerders hebben dit probleem niet zien aankomen, vermoedt Van der Tuuk. Zij zijn wel de enige die dit probleem kunnen oplossen, bijvoorbeeld door uitbreiding van de capaciteit.

Ook het installatiebedrijf in Bedum heeft geprofiteerd van de bonus van de NAM. Van der Tuuk: "We hebben vorig jaar zo'n zeshonderd sets zonnepanelen geïnstalleerd. Zonder die bonus van de NAM waren dat er hooguit honderd geweest."

Regeling

Dat zo massaal van de regeling van de NAM gebruik werd gemaakt, heeft Enexis vorig jaar verrast, de netbeheerder in onder meer het noorden van Nederland. "Komen er geleidelijk aansluitingen bij dan kun je dat incalculeren, dat lukte niet", zegt woordvoerder Loek de Lange. "Er was toen de regeling in ging een enorme belangstelling voor de aanschaf van zonnepanelen."

Er zijn verschillende mogelijkheden de extra zonne-energie niet verloren te laten gaan. De Lange: "We kunnen de transformatoren een tandje hoger zetten zodat er meer vermogen gegeven en teruggegeven kan worden. Of we moeten de kabel verzwaren, maar dat kost meer tijd omdat we dan echt de grond in moeten. En daar hebben we weer een vergunning voor nodig."

Op dit ligt er bij ons nog één concrete klacht. Enexis zegt die klacht nog deze week op te lossen.

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In verschillende gemeenten in Groningen staan te veel huizen met zonnepanelen. Wanneer de daarmee opgewekte stroom wordt teruggeleverd aan het energienet, kan het systeem overbelast raken en op dat moment levert het systeem geen zonne-energie meer op. Het aantal zonnepanelen in het aardbevingsgebied in Groningen is het afgelopen jaar gestegen met 30 procent.

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Electricity production in Brazil in 41% renewable

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Electricity production in Brazil in 41% renewable

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http://agenciabrasil.ebc.com.br/en/economia/noticia/2016-06/brazil-share-renewable-energy-matrix-reaches-412

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Population growth together with economic growth in China, India and other non-OECD countries will see some 3 billion people rise into the ranks of the middle-income class. Non-OECD will in many ways not follow the path OECD countries did during the previous century. Innovations in technology are shaping the economies and the way people use energy. Suppliers are shifting to lower carbon fuels while at the same time, total demand is rising. The importance of energy efficiency is curbing demand and emission. To help enable billions to reach the middle class and living standards to rise, the question will always remain as it is: “how to expand the benefits of modern technology and energy while protecting the environment”. Answers to that question will continue to be found through practical choices backed by new ideas and innovations. [Extracted from my Information Paper to the PNG Independent Consumer Competition Commission, dated 10th March, 2015]

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Population growth together with economic growth in China, India and other non-OECD countries will see some 3 billion people rise into the ranks of the middle-income class. Non-OECD will in many ways not follow the path OECD countries did during the previous century. Innovations in technology are shaping the economies and the way people use energy. Suppliers are shifting to lower carbon fuels while at the same time, total demand is rising. The importance of energy efficiency is curbing demand and emission. To help enable billions to reach the middle class and living standards to rise, the question will always remain as it is: “how to expand the benefits of modern technology and energy while protecting the environment”. Answers to that question will continue to be found through practical choices backed by new ideas and innovations. [Extracted from my Information Paper to the PNG Independent Consumer Competition Commission, dated 10th March, 2015]

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As you can see our needs have gone up, but renewables still make up a small percentage of energy.

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Preparation for something new like construction...

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Lack of electricity in India....

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This Natural Gas Pipeline explosion less than 3 miles from my house renewed Fracking concerns although it was unrelated.

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Start the dialogue in an early stadium. http://www.rtvnoord.nl/nieuws/170351/Ik-vind-het-heel-erg-als-die-reeen-niet-meer-in-mijn-tuin-komen

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Chile is becoming a great place to invest in renewable energies.  

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Chile is becoming a great place to invest in renewable energies.  

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http://www.energia.gob.cl/energias-renovables

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De Rijksdienst voor Ondernemend Nederland (RVO.nl) stelde, samen met de brancheorganisaties, voor elke MJA3-sector een lijst op met energiebesparende maatregelen (de MJA3 maatregellijsten). De MJA3 maatregellijsten ondersteunen u bij het vinden van maatregelen en vervolgens om te kunnen bepalen welke maatregel interessant is voor uw bedrijf. Kern van elke maatregel zijn de technische en economische gegevens die u als bedrijf nodig heeft om te kunnen bepalen of een maatregel relevant is. 

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De Rijksdienst voor Ondernemend Nederland (RVO.nl) stelde, samen met de brancheorganisaties, voor elke MJA3-sector een lijst op met energiebesparende maatregelen (de MJA3 maatregellijsten). De MJA3 maatregellijsten ondersteunen u bij het vinden van maatregelen en vervolgens om te kunnen bepalen welke maatregel interessant is voor uw bedrijf. Kern van elke maatregel zijn de technische en economische gegevens die u als bedrijf nodig heeft om te kunnen bepalen of een maatregel relevant is. 

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South Africa: Sustainable energy and economic development

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South Africa: Sustainable energy and economic development

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http://revolve.media/south-africas-going-green/

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A Netherlands pilot from housing developers and builders on making existing dwellings sustainable with a focus on energy and zero energy costs on a yearly basis.

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The Netherlands are far behind if States are compared on renewables.

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Opinions are of course divided; yet I think that we should take nuclear reactors in consideration.

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PEARL is een nieuwe neutronenpoederdiffractometer bij het Reactor Instituut Delft. Meetinstrument PEARL verbetert het energie materialen...

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Trump's influence on the future of clean energy is less clear than you think 

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Trump's influence on the future of clean energy is less clear than you think 

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Going over Trump's assertions on energy during his campaign to try to guess what his approach will be now that he has been elected.

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As the world struggles to absorb the implications of Donald Trump's unexpected victory in the US general election, no one is facing the future with more trepidation than those working on clean energy, clean transportation, climate and the environment. Hillary Clinton had promised to build on Obama's substantial progress in this area; now they worry that it may be reversed, and then some.

What does the future hold, under a Trump government, and how worried should we be?

The first thing to note is that Trump's comments on energy during his campaign do not add up to a coherent policy. He promised that if he were elected, "the shale energy revolution will unleash massive wealth for America, and we will end the war on coal and the war on miners" - even though the two energy sources are in fact in competition. He dismissed wind and solar as expensive, ignoring all evidence that this is no longer the case. He is pro-nuclear. And, like almost every president since Richard Nixon, he promised US energy independence.

On climate change, Trump famously claimed that "the concept of global warming was created by and for the Chinese in order to make US manufacturing non-competitive". He pledged to "cancel" the Paris climate agreement and to rescind Obama's Clean Power Plan. Trump resolutely opposed the wind farms that can be seen from his golf courses (though he has also acknowledged the threat of rising sea levels to those same golf courses). During his campaign, he promised to abolish the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), whose responsibility for regulating CO2 emissions was confirmed by the US Supreme Court a decade ago.

Overall, on the environment, he said: "We'll be fine, we can leave a little bit, but you can't destroy businesses."

There is no question, then, that we are entering a time of potentially grave peril for the planet and for many of the industries that promise a sustainable long term future. But, just as the election of Obama did not mark "the moment when the rise of the oceans began to slow and our planet began to heal", as he claimed when he was first elected president, nor will Trump's election mark the opposite.

For all the "war on coal" rhetoric, US coal's biggest problem was never Obama, nor would it have been Hillary Clinton. It is cheap natural gas first, cheap renewable power second and flat electricity demand third. With endless shale gas and aging plants, the economics of US coal will continue to worsen, and individual states will continue to pursue action on reducing emissions.

In oil and gas, removing regulations on fracking and opening up US national parks and federal lands to exploration might reduce costs, but not by much. The real threat to US domestic production is low global oil and gas prices, which look like they will be with us for some extended time.

Although he portrays himself as a master dealmaker, Trump is a political novice and a divisive one. To abolish the EPA he would need the support of Congress. While both houses are controlled by Republicans, they do not have the 60 votes in the Senate needed to avoid a Democrat filibuster and act unilaterally. When it comes to the trillion dollars Trump promised to spend on roads and other infrastructure, he will face stiff opposition from fiscally conservative Republicans.

Trump claims the Paris climate agreement will "give foreign bureaucrats control over how much energy [is used] right here in America". That's simply not true. Retreating from it would not result in a US energy or industrial renaissance - in fact, the opposite: the agreement is set to create global markets for exactly those clean energy and transportation technologies in which the US leads the world.

Whatever happens in the US over the next four years, technologies such as wind and solar will continue getting cheaper until they beat out fossil fuels; battery and fuel-cell electric vehicles will keep getting better until they render internal combustion engines old fashioned. So the world will continue its inevitable transition to clean energy and transportation, just at a slower rate than if the US were fully committed to leading the process.

Does that matter? I'll leave the last words to President-elect Trump.

In 2009, ahead of the Copenhagen Climate Summit, he was a co-signatory to a letter to Obama which pointed out that clean energy technologies would "spur economic growth, create new energy jobs and increase our energy security". The letter concluded by saying: "If we fail to act now, it is scientifically irrefutable that there will be catastrophic and irreversible consequences for humanity and our planet."

A lot of people will be hoping he remembers those words when he takes office on 20 January next year.
Topics

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Trump's influence on the future of clean energy is less clear than you think

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As the world struggles to absorb the implications of Donald Trump's unexpected victory in the US general election, no one is facing the future with more trepidation than those working on clean energy, clean transportation, climate and the environment.

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Een kolencentrale is in deze tijd niet meer geaccepteerd

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Een kolencentrale is in deze tijd niet meer geaccepteerd

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Drie actievoerders hebben zich vastgebonden aan een touw dat is gespannen tussen twee windmolens. De havenmond wordt hiermee geblokkeerd. Met twee hoogwerkers is er een lier gespannen tussen twee windmolens. De drie actievoerders hangen als een menselijke keten boven het water. Ze worden in het water bijgestaan door Greenpeace-activisten op speedboten.

De blokkade moet voorkomen dat het schip De Paquis, een 312 meter lang bulkschip met kolen aan boord dat vaart onder de Panamese vlag, de haven in kan varen. De havenmeester werd op de hoogte gesteld van de actie en het schip is ondertussen voor anker gegaan voor de kust van Terschelling.

De politie staat de actie van Greenpeace toe in het kader van het recht van protest. Wel zijn ze aanwezig in de Eemshaven om de situatie in de gaten te houden.

Greenpeace wil met de actie aandacht vragen voor de vervuilende werking van kolencentrales. De organisatie wil dat alle centrales in Nederland zo snel mogelijk gesloten worden. De organisatie heeft aangegeven net zo lang in de Eemshaven te blijven tot ze gesommeerd worden het gebied te verlaten. Dit gebeurt vaak met een kort geding.
Video: Greenpeace over de actie
Maatregelen

De actie moet ook minister Henk Kamp van Economische Zaken onder druk zetten. De minister komt in het najaar met een pakket maatregelen om te voldoen aan het Klimaatakkoord dat werd gesloten in Parijs en aan de Urgenda-uitspraak van de rechtbank Den Haag.

In deze uitspraak wordt Nederland verplicht om de CO2-uitstoot in 2020 met 25 procent te hebben teruggedrongen ten opzichte van 1990. Om daaraan te kunnen voldoen zouden volgens onderzoekers van CE Delft een of twee nieuwe kolencentrales gesloten moeten worden.

Kamp zei zondag nog dat hij geen nieuwe kolencentrales gaat sluiten. Twee oude centrales uit de jaren negentig sluiten is volgens Kamp nog te verdedigen, maar de nieuwe centrales ''zijn de schoonste van heel Europa, we zouden gek zijn als we die dicht doen. Het is veel verstandiger de oude vervuilende centrales in Duitsland en Polen te sluiten'', zei hij.

"Maar hij is geen minister van Polen of Duitsland", aldus Willem Wiskerke, campagneleider van Greenpeace. "Daarnaast is geen enkele kolencentrale schoon en is deze twee keer zo groot als de anderen, dus stoot ook veel meer uit."

Het sluiten van de centrales is volgens Greenpeace een realistisch doel: Nederland is volgens de milieuorganisatie in staat om op andere manieren energie op te wekken. "Er is in onze ogen geen andere manier om de afspraken in het Klimaatakkoord te halen dan te stoppen met de centrales.

Broeikasgassen

Maandag werd bekend dat de uitstoot van broeikasgassen vorig jaar in Nederland 5 procent hoger lag dan in 2014.

In 2030 moet de uitstoot volgens de Europese klimaatdoelen met 40 procent zijn teruggedrongen ten opzichte van 1990. De uitstoot kwam vorig jaar 12 procent lager uit vergeleken met 1990, meldt het Centraal Bureau voor de Statistiek ( CBS).

De stijging in 2015 werd onder meer veroorzaakt doordat elektriciteitscentrales meer vervuilende steenkool en minder aardgas verstookten.

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Drie actievoerders hebben zich vastgebonden aan een touw dat is gespannen tussen twee windmolens. De havenmond wordt hiermee geblokkeerd. Met twee hoogwerkers is er een lier gespannen tussen twee windmolens. De drie actievoerders hangen als een menselijke keten boven het water. Ze worden in het water bijgestaan door Greenpeace-activisten op speedboten.

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Indonesia towards Renewables : The Aim, The Plan, The Obstacles and The Reality

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Indonesia towards Renewables : The Aim, The Plan, The Obstacles and The Reality

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This is the fact of how Indonesia's facing the Sustainable Energy for its future, brought by UNDP , written Last Year, the 2015.

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The state of Indonesia's renewable energy

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Indonesia's government recently revised its renewable energy target to 23 percent by 2025. Is this target large enough to drive Indonesia in its transition to a green economy? What are the most pressing issues facing Indonesia in achieving its renewable energy target?

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Oktober 26th 2016: The first National Climate Top in The Netherlands ...

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Oktober 26th 2016: The first National Climate Top in The Netherlands ...

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It is soooooo late to finally have the national attention for measures towards climate change. But, The Dutch government is getting started. It's time to leave blaming and cyni
https://magazines.klimaattop2016.nl/verslag/2016/01/05---kortomhttps://magazines.klimaattop2016.nl/verslag/2016/01/05---kortom

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This is a photo of the four  cooling towers of the Ironbridge Gorge Power Station.  The original power station was officially opened on October 13th 1932 but the cooling towers are part of the second power station which began feeding power into the National Grid on June11th 1969. For most of the time it was powered by coal, but in the last couple of years it was converted to use 100% biomass fuel.[1] This photo was taken on November 20th 2015, the day  the power station stopped generating electricity.

This was part of our government’s strategy to decommission old, inefficient coal powered stations - part of the UK’s plan to reduce carbon emissions.  There are fears that there will not be enough power at peak times as there seems to be a delay in replacing the traditional source of power.  The government’s answer seems be nuclear power - which will be very expensive.  At the same time they have reduced incentives for the development of solar power or wind energy.

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Though some might feel we are making huge progress the transition is moving way to slow.

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Brown coal power station closes in Australia. The economics of ageing plant made it not viable. Chaotic government policies on climate change were not relevant according to the power station owner.

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Brown coal power station closes in Australia. The economics of ageing plant made it not viable. Chaotic government policies on climate change were not relevant according to the power station owner.

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Updated November 03, 2016 20:56:31

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Hundreds of workers will lose their jobs after the announcement that Hazelwood power station, Australia's dirtiest coal-fired power plant, will officially close by the end of March.

The plant, in Victoria's Latrobe Valley, employs about 750 people, with 450 direct employees and 300 contractors.

The company said about 250 workers would remain at the power station between 2017 and 2023 to manage the site's rehabilitation.

ENGIE chief executive in Australia, Alex Keisser, said the 1,600-megawatt power station was no longer economically viable.

"ENGIE in Australia would need to invest many hundreds of millions of dollars to ensure viable and, most importantly, continued safe operation," Mr Keisser said in a statement.

"Given current and forecast market conditions, that level of investment cannot be justified."

Mr Keisser called it a difficult decision and a difficult moment for all the employees.

"I want to thank them all, the past and present employees of Hazelwood, who worked diligently over last 50 years to produce low coast and reliable electricity for Victoria," he said.

"We have done different studies to see if we could transform Hazelwood to a biomass plant. We've looked also to see if we could repower it with gas.

"Unfortunately the power price today in Australia does not make any of these options viable."

Mine to be transformed into a lake

Mr Keisser said the company would fully rehabilitate the mine and turn it into a lake to be handed back to the community.

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He estimated it would be over a decade before the company concluded its business in Australia.

Workers were told this morning they would receive full entitlements.

One worker, Gary Sevenson, said the decision was "pretty heartbreaking".

Hazelwood is the oldest brown coal plant operating in the Latrobe Valley and is considered to be Australia's dirtiest coal-fired plant.

ENGIE also announced it would appoint a financial advisor to sell off its Loy Yang B power station, also in the Latrobe Valley, along with the Kwinana co-generation facility in Western Australia.

About 200 people work at Loy Yang B, Victoria's newest brown coal-fired plant which provides about 17 per cent of the state's energy needs.

Workers affected to receive government assistance

Federal Energy Minister Josh Frydenberg said the Commonwealth Government would offer a $43 million package for those workers impacted by the closure.

"This will comprise $3 million for job active assistance, retraining, other financial services support for those affected workers," he said.

"When it comes to the jobs in the Latrobe Valley and the future of those affected workers, the Turnbull Government is announcing today a $43 million package."

Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews said $20 million would go towards the set-up of a Latrobe Valley authority based in Morwell to help people in the region and act as "an important listening post" for the community.

"Making decisions with and for the Latrobe Valley, not dictating terms from Melbourne or further away," he said.

Victorian Government will 'stand by the Valley'

Mr Andrews also announced a $22 million package of "personalised support" for the workers.

"TAFE training, financial counselling, other emotional counselling if it is needed, all the sorts of supports that you would expect a good government to provide to each of those 750 workers and their families as they make a very difficult, very challenging transition away from these jobs," he said.

Mr Andrews said when the Latrobe Valley was on fire during the 2014 mine blaze that covered the Morwell area in acrid smoke and ash, the community did not get the support it needed from the Government.

"I want to make it very clear to every single member of the Latrobe Valley community, every business, every family, every individual, we will be there to stand with you and work with you to get through these challenges and to do the best we can to make sure that the Latrobe Valley is stronger than it has ever been," he said.

"I am optimistic and hopeful about that."

Modelling released by the Victorian Government on Wednesday showed the loss of Hazelwood's cheap, brown coal-fired electricity would push up household power bills by between 4 and 8 per cent.

Topics: electricity-energy-and-utilities, coal, industry, business-economics-and-finance, morwell-3840, vic

First posted November 03, 2016 12:14:35

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'Heartbreaking' Hazelwood closure to leave hundreds jobless

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Updated November 03, 2016 20:56:31 Sorry, this video has expired Hundreds of workers will lose their jobs after the announcement that Hazelwood power station, Australia's dirtiest coal-fired power plant, will officially close by the end of March. The plant, in Victoria's Latrobe Valley, employs about 750 people, with 450 direct employees and 300 contractors.

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Bioenergy industry players have conceded that a revived coal industry will continue to provide energy for industry for years to come, especially in the South Island.

Their comments came at the Bioenergy Association of New Zealand's annual conference in Wellington, two days after a Bathurst Resources-led consortium bought out collapsed Solid Energy's main coal mines for $46 million.

Bioenergy consultant John Gifford said there were about 2000 heat plants across New Zealand - 400 of which still used coal - that produced heat for factories, schools, hospitals and other big institutions.

Four companies suppled wood chips for burning in boilers, mainly from radiata pine and Douglas fir.

Azwood Energy sales manager Brook Brewerton said his company's focus was on smaller-scale customers.

"We can displace coal in the under-300-megawatt boiler capacity," he said.

"Above that it might take some time and it may be that wood is not the answer to that - it might be some other kind of renewable energy, such as electricity."

The largest energy users, such as Fonterra, would continue to need coal for their large-scale boilers in the meantime, he said.

Scientists have long recognised the advantage of burning wood chips is that the carbon dioxide emitted during combustion is balanced out by carbon dioxide absorption while a tree is growing.

By contrast, coal is a net emitter, since its carbon dioxide was previously stored safely underground.

However, coal contains less moisture and so produces more heat relative to its size, so is cheaper to store.

The Bioenergy Association has argued that its dried wood products have comparable moisture levels to low-grade coal, such as the variety that is commonly produced in Southland.

Association executive officer Brian Cox said the wood industry was producing three-and-a-half megawatts more energy each year.

"Long term, we want to take over completely from coal - we are looking to 2030 and we have plans out to 2030," he said.

Energy Minister Simon Bridges said coal had plenty of life in it yet.

"Coal will still be required for a considerable amount of time."

There was considerable potential in biomass, though, he said.

"The concerns we hear are really about the security of supply and the ability to supply those woody chips for boilers not just for six months, not even for six years, but for the lifecycle of those boilers."

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Bioenergy sector concedes heat still left in coal industry

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Bioenergy industry players have conceded that a revived coal industry will continue to provide energy for industry for years to come, especially in the South Island. Their comments came at the Bioenergy Association of New Zealand's annual conference in Wellington, two days after a Bathurst Resources-led consortium bought out collapsed Solid Energy's main coal mines for $46 million.

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India-plans for cleaner energy boost

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NEW DELHI (Reuters) - The Indian government and three state-run firms will jointly set up an equity fund of up to $2 billion for renewable energy companies to tap into to help New Delhi meet its clean energy goals, two government sources told Reuters on Wednesday.

Private and public companies will be able to dip into an initial amount of more than $1 billion starting next fiscal year, said the sources with direct knowledge of the decision taken after a meeting of government officials more than a month ago. India's government hopes the Clean Energy Equity Fund (CEEF) will attract pension and insurance funds from Canada and Europe.

Around $600 million of the initial pool will come from the National Investment and Infrastructure Fund, under the finance ministry, and the rest from state entities NTPC Ltd, Rural Electrification Corp and the Indian Renewable Energy Development Agency, according to one of the sources.

The sources declined to be named as they are not authorised to talk to the media. Officials at the finance ministry, new and renewable energy ministry, NTPC, Rural Electrification, and Indian Renewable Energy Development Agency did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has set a target of raising India's renewable energy target to 175 gigawatts by 2022, more than five times current usage, as part of the fight against climate change by the world's third-biggest greenhouse gas emitter and to supply power to all of the country's 1.3 billion people.

The program will depend on getting as much as $175 billion in funding with 70 percent of that likely in bank loans and the rest as equity, the sources said.

The government reckons loans are not a problem but providing equity to investors may be difficult due to uncertainties over returns, one of the sources said.

"As we expand our clean energy capacity, there may be a shortage of equity next year," said the source. "Private equity is seen as risky in India but if the government itself creates a fund, that gives a lot of confidence."

India's clean energy push was set back earlier this year when U.S. solar company SunEdison filed for bankruptcy. The company is now looking to secure partners to see through its planned India projects.

Nevertheless, companies are still keen to invest in clean energy.

Japan's Softbank Corp, Taiwan's Foxconn and India's Bharti Enterprises have pledged to invest about $20 billion in India's renewable sector. Global solar giants like First Solar Inc, Trina Solar Ltd and Fortum are also expanding their presence.

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diversified trading and distributing (trbc)

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renewable energy equipment and services (trbc)

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industrial machinery / equipment (legacy)

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India to launch clean energy equity fund of up to $2 billion - sources

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The Indian government and three state-run firms will jointly set up an equity fund of up to $2 billion for renewable energy companies to tap into to help New Delhi meet its clean energy goals, two government sources told Reuters on Wednesday.

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BHUJ: India's wind power capacity is set to grow 30 per cent or 4,300 MW in 2016-17, helped by capacity addition in Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh, among others, Suzlon Group Chairman Tulsi Tanti said.

At present, the total wind power installed capacity in the country is around 27 GW, accounting for about 9 per cent of India's total installed capacity.

"India is a very promising and demanding market. It is set to grow by 30 per cent annually. In 2016-17, the country will add about 4,300 MW of wind power," Tanti told reporters here.

Suzlon has its rotor blades manufacturing facility in Bhuj and maintains sites for some of its clients.

Interacting with the media through video conferencing from Germany, Tanti said: "Most capacity will be added by Andhra Pradesh followed by Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka, Rajasthan and Maharashtra. Some capacity will be added in Tamil Nadu."

In a blog post in April, the founder of India's leading wind turbine maker had termed 2015-16 as a "historic year" for the Indian renewable industry. Wind energy surpassed all its previous records with about 3,300 MW installation, a growth of 43 per cent. The previous highest installation was around 3,196 MW in 2011.

"India's wind energy sector witnessed unprecedented acceleration last year, propelled by technology and conducive policy environment for renewables, by central and state governments. The growth was way higher than the industry estimates of 30-40 per cent," he had said.

The industry has attracted an investment of over USD 3.16 billion and the cumulative installation of the sector is about 64 per cent of India's total grid interactive renewable energy capacity. This is equivalent to reducing carbon emission by over 58.56 million tonnes per annum or planting over 1.76 billion trees, Tanti had noted.

Globally, India is at the fourth spot in terms of wind power installed capacity after China, the US and Germany. The Centre has set an ambitious target of achieving 175 GW capacity from renewable energy resources by 2022 and of this, 60 GW is seen to come from wind power.

Tanti sounded positive on Suzlon's performance in 2016-17 during his video conferencing with reporters.

"We will achieve a market share of 40 per cent in 2016-17 and will generate cash from operations," he added.

In 2015-16, the firm had a market share of 27 per cent in India, up from 19 per cent in 2014-15. Last fiscal, Suzlon commissioned 900 MW wind energy projects, of which 520 MW was commissioned in the January-March quarter alone.

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India to add 4,300 MW wind power capacity in 2016-17: Tulsi Tanti

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BHUJ: India's wind power capacity is set to grow 30 per cent or 4,300 MW in 2016-17, helped by capacity addition in Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh, among others, Suzlon Group Chairman Tulsi Tanti said. At present, the total wind power installed capacity in the country is around 27 GW, accounting for about 9 per cent of India's total installed capacity.

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In Spain the renewable energy has an important role

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In Spain the renewable energy has an important role

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The renewable energies provide 37,1%  of all electricity consumed in the country in the 2015.
http://www.energias-renovables.com/articulo/las-renovables-produjeron-en-espana-en-2015-20151230

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 U.S. electricity generation by energy source

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 U.S. electricity generation by energy source

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Below data is based on generation by utility-scale facilities.

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Ambiguous reactions to Dutch climate conference

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Ambiguous reactions to Dutch climate conference

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The Dutch prime minister and the secretary for the environment opened the Dutch national climate conference last week. Great that they were there, but it's not clear what exactly they committed to. http://www.metronieuws.nl/nieuws/rotterdam/2016/10/dijksma-en-rutte-openen-nationale-klimaattop

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http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/cfb-petawawa-energy-east-pipeline-1.3712472  This article is an article about a controversial Pipeline project in Canada. Where even the Military among many other groups are voicing concerns.  It's my hope that Canada will move away from projects like these and push for a more sustainable energy paradigm.

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The first phase of the Meygen project is underway to install the first array of tidal stream turbines. If the engineering challenges of deploying turbines in hostile marine environments can be overcome, this resource could provide a predictable renewable energy source.

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Phase 1A of the MeyGen project, involves the installation of four underwater turbines just north of the Scottish mainland during September. They will have a generating capacity of 6MW - enough energy to power more than 3,500 homes. It is the world's first commercially funded tidal array and is on track to deliver to the grid later this year.

The four 1,000-plus tonne turbine structures are the first of 269 planned for the MeyGen site over the next decade. It will eventually power 175,000 homes.

Show Fullscreen

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Installation of the turbines comes as the tidal power industry moves from testing and prototypes to the first arrays of full-scale devices.

And as the fundamentals behind tidal power become better known, this form of power generation is thought more likely to become a viable option for bulk renewable energy. But questions about the extent of UK government's financial support remain.

Atlantis

Edinburgh based MeyGen is 100% owned by Atlantis Resources, which began testing turbine prototypes in Australia in around 2002. It has since expanded overseas and has work in China, Canada and Scotland.

The MeyGen project kicked off with official testing at the European Marine Energy Centre at Stromness, Scotland in 2010, the same year development rights for the project were granted by the Crown Estate.

September 2014 marked financial close for the £51.8M Phase 1A contracts, partly thanks to funding from from the Department of Energy & Climate Change and from development agencies Scottish Enterprise and the Highlands and Islands Enterprise. The UK government has provided £10M in grants to the project from its Marine Energy Array Demonstrator scheme.

Technology

This led to the unveiling of a fully assembled AR1500 Atlantis tidal turbine, developed with US weapons manufacturer Lockheed Martin, at Nigg Energy, 30km north of Inverness.

It is an impressive sight, with a rotor diameter of 18m. A yaw mechanism can turn the turbine through 180⁰ when the tide changes direction. The nacelles themselves contain a generator and gearbox, but the power conditioning equipment is housed onshore.

meygen 1

Atlantis claims that its turbine can generate 1.5MW at water flows of 3m/s, with the tides driving the relatively lightweight composite turbine blades that weigh about 3.5t each. Steel blades of other turbines can weigh about 7t. To gather the maximum amount of energy possible, the angle of the blades on the AR1500 can be altered, and the turbine can pivot 360º on its foundation to align with water flow direction.

The turbines have a "wet mate" capability for making electrical connections underwater. This was developed especially for the MeyGen project, using technology developed by Siemens and proven in the oil and gas industry. But if maintenance is required, it is done out of water.

As part of Phase 1A, three more turbines made by Austria-based Andritz Hydro Hammerfest will be installed. Andritz developed the first ever tidal current turbine with a permanent connection to a public grid, in Norwegian waters in 2004.

Each of the turbines has a 25 year design life. They are equipped with hundreds of sensors. "They're measuring things like stresses in the blades, rotor deflection - all the stuff that leads to early preventative maintenance," says Atlantis technology and turbine service director Drew Blaxland. Part of this rationale is to help the industry hone in on an optimal turbine design. "If you go back five to 10 years, everyone's turbines were wacky and different," says Blaxland.

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Installing

At the Inner Sound in the Pentland Firth just south of Stroma Island, the speed at which the North Sea empties into the Atlantic Ocean is clearly visible, even from the surface. The "tidal races" - swirling currents around land masses - are known hazards for sailors.

It is for this reason that the strait was chosen as the ideal site, after tidal flow modelling in 2011. Maximum current speeds are up to 5m/s. It is also the deepest section of the UK's territorial waters - up to 323m.

The strait is 3.6km at its widest, 2.5km at its narrowest and currents are strong enough for there to be no need for additional earthworks to support the scheme, unlike tidal lagoon power site, mooted for Swansea in Wales.

The turbulent tides in Pentland Firth make lowering the 1,000t-plus structures into the water more difficult. Installation must occur when the tide is weak and changing. Ideally this would also be during neap tides, which occur twice a month when the difference between high and low tides is the least.

125km journey

The assembled turbine-foundation structures left the dock in Nigg on Cromarty Firth on a jack-up vessel. This travelled 125km to the site, taking 12 hours.

To the lay observer, these tidal power turbines look like wind turbines, but they are vastly different when considering the dimensions and forces at play. Water is 784 times more dense than air, so the turbines move more slowly, but with more power. The blades turn about seven revolutions per minute, as opposed to those of wind turbines which rotate at about 15 to 20 revolutions/min.

The installation team - many using skills acquired from the oil and gas industries - took only 40 minutes to lower the turbine structure and weigh it down with ballast.

Wind speed was a major factor - it had to be less than 17.7km/h. The mean wind speeds for northern Scotland lie between 118.4km/h to 36.8km/h, depending on the month.

As soon as you land it [on the seabed], you connect electrically, and you're ready to go. Back in the prototyping days, that took a month.

Atlantis director of technology and turbine service Drew Blaxland

Once the turbine structure was in position, 1200t of ballast "blocks" are placed over the turbine structure's "feet". These comprise six 200t blocks, two blocks per leg. In total, the installation involves seven lifts.

Blaxland says the time involved for installation, as well as design and manufacture, has been slashed since the prototype days. "As soon as you land it [on the seabed], you connect electrically, and you're ready to go. Back in the prototyping days, that took a month."

Tidal's potential

While the tidal energy sector is in its early days, it has advantages that could see it grow faster than other renewables. Tidal energy production is more predictable than solar or wind energy, although not as consistent or constant as nuclear or gas power.

Attracting much buzz is the mooted £1.3bn Swansea tidal lagoon, which would be a prototype for a £15bn programme of investment in full-size lagoons for west Cumbria, Bridgwater Bay, Colwyn Bay, Newport and Cardiff. These involve installing underwater turbines in a seawall, rather than positioning them on the seabed. Depending on what reports you read, tidal power could eventually meet 10% to 20% of the UK's electricity demand. A review of this suite of proposed lagoons started in February, focusing primarily on whether they would provide value for money.

The Department for Energy and Climate Change estimates that the UK alone has around 50% of Europe's tidal energy resource and of that Scotland accounts for around 30%. "If we don't get a move on, we're ceding ground to others around the world, like we did with previous technologies such as wind," says Scotland's business, innovation and energy minister Paul Wheelhouse. "Everything I'm seeing is indicating we'll need more power, at lower cost, for energy security, through renewables rather than nuclear."

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Scottish first minister Nicola Sturgeon, has urged Westminister to show more support for renewables. "The next phase is we need to see the promises made by Westminster now delivered. So we can get on to delivering the next phases of this amazing project," she says.

But there are constraints on manufacturing and construction. It takes about 21 months to create the generators, the main turbine component at a factory in Bristol. Phase 1B is only due to start deploying new turbines in 2018. "The foundations take nine to 10 months to build, and there will be different foundations moving forward. We'll start buying generators, gearboxes, cables, the front end procurement part of the project, from 1 January, 2017," says Blaxland.

The future

When up and running, the project will receive operating funds under the UK government's Contract for Difference (CfD) up to 2021. Under the CfD, energy generators are paid the difference between the "strike price" - an agreed price for electricity reflecting the cost of investing in a low carbon technology - and the "reference price" - a measure of the average market price for electricity in the British market.

Currently, the strike price set for tidal power is £305/MWh, although this is expected to fall. Atlantis says it "is committed to steady price degression... through growth and the consequent benefits of economies of scale". A report by the Energy Technologies Institute (ETI) suggests that costs will come down to £150/MWh in 2020 to £83/MWh in 2030 to £63/MWh in 2050.

Atlantis chief executive Tim Cornelius has called on the government to stand by its 2014 policy commitment to prioritise subsidies for tidal power schemes with capacities of up to 100MW. "The Danish government made a similar visionary commitment in the early 1980s, securing the on and offshore wind industries which now employ 28,000 workers in Denmark and generate £5bn in exports. The UK could replicate the successes the Danish industry has achieved but only with early support through the CfD - without it, the opportunities will be lost."

After the Brexit vote, funding for energy projects from the European Investment Bank might be at risk. EIB investments in the UK economy came to €7.8bn (£6.95bn) in 2015, 24% of which was on energy projects.

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But Cornelius is optimistic.

"The EIB is only one source of finance. But if it's not available there will be other sources. The fact of the matter is, there is a lot of money washing around at the moment, and a lot of people want to be involved in high-quality infrastructure projects."

Rather than look at other countries, such as France, Japan, Canada, Korea and China, as competitors, Cornelius believes Scotland's renewables sector has strong export potential. "Scotland leads the way with setting policy to encourage investment. We almost get a delegation a month coming across to replicate the way Scotland has done its infrastructure."

Roy MacGregor is chairman of Global Energy Group, the operator of the renewables assembly site and dock at Nigg. He says it all feels a little bit like the North Sea's first oil and gas boom.

"I was involved in starting a local workforce in an industry [oil and gas] that was alien to Scotland, but over the 40-odd years became the envy of the world," he says.

We do need renewables, not just for this generation but for tomorrow's generation.

Global Energy Group chairman Roy MacGregor

"In many ways, as we start another journey with renewables, it's like just putting the clock back for me, and looking forward to the prosperity that this industry will give another generation."

He says that at peak the Nigg yard employed 5,500 people, in early 2016 there were 3,000. On the day New Civil Engineer visited the site, there were significantly less.

"We do need renewables, not just for this generation but for tomorrow's generation," says MacGregor.

Phase 1C with a capacity of 74MW is due to be commissioned in 2018, and is currently at the advanced development stage, with consent and grid connection secured. Phase 2 will have a capacity of 312MW. It is under development, due for commission in 2021.

Alternative Energy | UK tidal power first

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Alternative Energy | UK tidal power first

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Phase 1A of the MeyGen project, involves the installation of four underwater turbines just north of the Scottish mainland during September. They will have a generating capacity of 6MW - enough energy to power more than 3,500 homes. It is the world's first commercially funded tidal array and is on track to deliver to the grid later this year.

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Hidden costs of nuclear waste disposal will be subsidised by taxpayers. From the Guardian, UK, Oct 30.

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Hidden costs of nuclear waste disposal will be subsidised by taxpayers. From the Guardian, UK, Oct 30.

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https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2016/oct/30/hinkley-point-nuclear-waste-storage-costs ow-b

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New oil (and gas) resources in the Black Sea?

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New oil (and gas) resources in the Black Sea?

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Bulgaria's Deputy Prime Minister Tomislav Donchev has not elaborated on the amounts of gas available. File photo, BGNES

Bulgaria's Deputy Prime Minister Tomislav Donchev has announced that oil was found in the Khan Asparuh block during offshore drilling earlier this year.

Donchev has not elaborated his remarks at the opening of a tripartite meeting of government, employers, and unions.

A source of Inews.bg (a website of Novinite Group) working in the public sector has confirmed the news.

The amounts of oil have not yet been made public.

Deepwater drilling was carried out in the spring of this year in Khan Asparuh, the offshore block lying at the maritime boundary with Romania.

Bulgaria hopes to find both oil and gas in the Black Sea as up to 90% of its gas supplies come from Russia. It may also use new gas deposits for its Balkan Gas Hub project.

A drilling license was obtained in August 2014. A consortium of France's Total, Austria's OMV and Spain's Repsol had investd nearly BGN 1 B in the project.

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Oil Found in Bulgarian Black Sea Offshore Drilling - Novinite.com - Sofia News Agency

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Bulgaria's Deputy Prime Minister Tomislav Donchev has announced that oil was found in the Khan Asparuh block during offshore drilling earlier this year.Donchev has not elaborated his remarks at the opening of a tripartite meeting of government, employers, and unions.

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Bulgaria's continuing relationship with nuclear power

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Bulgaria's continuing relationship with nuclear power

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BGNES

"The government will find an investor for the Belene NPP or we will find an option to construct a 7 th reactor at the Kozloduy NPP," stated in Plovdiv Bulgarian PM Boyko Borisov, cited by Focus agency.

"This has to happen in order for us not to use the money we have given for the building of a Museum of Nuclear Reactors where these will be displayed since their construction started in 1986," added Boirisov.

Borisov specified that Bulgaria has agreed with the Russian side for the interest for the Belene NPP to be dropped and for the Russians not to have any claims.

"Last but not least, we extended the service life of the two reactors at Kozloduy," pointed out Borisov.

The PM promised that there will be a highway from Plovdiv to Assenovgrad this time next year. BGN 27 M have been allocated for this purpose and the technical documentation on the project has already been reviewed.

On Wednesday, the company that will carry out construction activities will be selected.

"The financial offer is on Wednesday and, if there are no appeals, we can start. This highway will also be ready if GERB remains in power," added Borisov.

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Bulgarian PM: We Will Find Investor for Belene or Construct 7th Kozloduy Reactor - Novinite.com - Sofia News Agency

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"The government will find an investor for the Belene NPP or we will find an option to construct a 7th reactor at the Kozloduy NPP," stated in Plovdiv Bulgarian PM Boyko Borisov, cited by Focus agency.

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The EU has lifted a cap on the Russian gas company's access to the Opal pipeline in Germany. The agreement paves the way for Moscow to expand its Nord Stream pipeline and bypass Ukraine when supplying gas to Europe.

Members of the European Commission on Friday decided to change a key regulation proposed by the German federal agency for gas, telecom and transport, the Bundesnetzagentur, to allow Gazprom more rights for gas transport.

Friday's decision concerned the Opal gas pipeline in Germany, which receives the fuel from the Nord Stream 1 Baltic Sea pipeline and transports it to users in Germany and the Czech republic. Until now, Gazprom was allowed to use only 50 percent of the pipeline's capacity to prevent the company from dominating the supply infrastructure.

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EU allows Gazprom more access to Opal gas pipeline through Germany

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The EU has lifted a cap on the Russian gas company's access to the Opal pipeline in Germany. The agreement paves the way for Moscow to expand its Nord Stream pipeline and bypass Ukraine when supplying gas to Europe.

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October 5, 2016 →A Quiet Solar Revolution in Rural BangladeshAmy Yee for the New York Times:In rural Bangladesh, especially the coastal southwest, it is common to see tiny solar panels embedded even in humble thatch-roofed huts. This is mostly the work of Infrastructure Development Company Limited (Idcol), a government-backed Bangladeshi energy and infrastructure group that claims more than 90 percent of the country’s booming home solar market.Since 2003, Idcol has installed solar panels in 3.95 million off-grid homes, reaching 18 million people. In terms of individual units served (rather than total wattage), Bangladesh has become one of the world’s largest markets for home solar systems.By comparison, Selco, a leading solar company in neighboring India, has installed about 350,000 home systems since 1995 in a country of 1.2 billion people. In the United States, even after exponential growth in solar in recent years, there were just 784,000 home and business solar installations in 2015.One factor in those comparisons is that solar energy has become a lifeline for low-income Bangladeshis, a great many of whom the grid does not reach. Although its big cities seem bright and bustling, just 25 percent of the population of 160 million have reliable electricity.Since electricity — even in small doses — powers lamps, cellphones, fans, water pumps, health clinics and equipment for businesses, it is critical in improving the lives of the poor.Mahmood Malik, chief executive of Idcol in Dhaka, calls its arrival for the rural poor “a silent revolution you can’t feel sitting in the city.”In Rural Bangladesh, Solar Power Dents Poverty

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October 5, 2016 →A Quiet Solar Revolution in Rural BangladeshAmy Yee for the New York Times:In rural Bangladesh, especially the coastal southwest, it is common to see tiny solar panels embedded even in humble thatch-roofed huts. This is mostly the work of Infrastructure Development Company Limited (Idcol), a government-backed Bangladeshi energy and infrastructure group that claims more than 90 percent of the country’s booming home solar market.Since 2003, Idcol has installed solar panels in 3.95 million off-grid homes, reaching 18 million people. In terms of individual units served (rather than total wattage), Bangladesh has become one of the world’s largest markets for home solar systems.By comparison, Selco, a leading solar company in neighboring India, has installed about 350,000 home systems since 1995 in a country of 1.2 billion people. In the United States, even after exponential growth in solar in recent years, there were just 784,000 home and business solar installations in 2015.One factor in those comparisons is that solar energy has become a lifeline for low-income Bangladeshis, a great many of whom the grid does not reach. Although its big cities seem bright and bustling, just 25 percent of the population of 160 million have reliable electricity.Since electricity — even in small doses — powers lamps, cellphones, fans, water pumps, health clinics and equipment for businesses, it is critical in improving the lives of the poor.Mahmood Malik, chief executive of Idcol in Dhaka, calls its arrival for the rural poor “a silent revolution you can’t feel sitting in the city.”In Rural Bangladesh, Solar Power Dents Poverty

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Only 16% renewable energie in 2023.
It must be an can be 100% in 2020.
Eind 2015 hebben partijen in het Energieakkoord het intensiveringspakket samengesteld toen uit de NEV 2015 bleek dat twee van de vijf doelstellingen uit het Energieakkoord voor 2020 nog niet binnen bereik lagen. Drie doelstellingen liggen wel binnen bereik: het aandeel hernieuwbare energie in 2023 op 16 procent, een besparing van het energieverbruik met gemiddeld 1,5 procent per jaar en een werkgelegenheidsgroei van ten minste 15.000 extra banen.

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"This statistic provides a projection of the energy mix in 2050 for Brazil if the country transitioned to 100 percent renewable energy for all purposes, including electricity, transportation, heating/cooling, and industry. According to this forecast, offshore wind energy would account for 17 percent of the country's energy mix."

https://www.statista.com/statistics/512769/transition-to-renewable-energy-in-brazil-outlook-by-source/

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Greece- reduction in petroleum consumption during 2010-2015

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Greece- reduction in petroleum consumption during 2010-2015

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Reduction is attributed to increased oil prices (much of it due to taxation), as well as to the econoomic crisis.

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Renewable energy accounted for only 11% of total primary energy supply in 2014 (IEA), despite the country's vast potential. However, petroleum consumption has been decreasing since 2010 (ELSTAT).

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UK - Can't make its mind up or balanced and sensible?

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UK - Can't make its mind up or balanced and sensible?

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This image for me picks up on the themes of this course. These are all factors in UK Energy Policy (or lack of it, depending on your perspective). Will we keep the lights on and meet our renewable energy targets? Should we even be trying?

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https://www.nrc.nl/nieuws/2016/10/26/nederlandse-bedrijven-vragen-om-klimaatwet-4986417-a1528509

This article is about the climate summit in last week in Rotterdam, The Netherlands. A follow-up from the Paris Agreement from last year. During this Summit, big energy companies argued that the state must do more to foster the energy transition in the country. They argued for a special Climate Law and a minister for Climate, Energy and Economic Affairs.

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This is a typical Dutch example of the tension between formulating a policy, and executing one. This small North Netherlands municipality wants to be climate neutral in 2040, but forbids solar parks, wind turbines, CSS, etc.

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AMSTERDAM (Reuters) - Dozens of Dutch companies called on the country's next government on Tuesday to establish an independent climate authority, environment minister and national investment bank to speed up the shift to clean energy.

The rare call for more government came from 39 companies, including oil giant Royal Dutch Shell, insurer Aegon and engineering consultancy Arcadis.

They argued that future Dutch leaders must adopt a comprehensive "climate law" after the general elections next March 15 that would establish bodies to oversee policies needed to meet targets set out in the 2015 Paris climate accord.

The coalition "wants to be part of the solution and chooses unequivocally to accelerate the energy transition," the open letter said. "Acceleration costs more, but yields more. It offers the Netherlands the chance to be a leader in sustainability."

After falling behind on its own emissions reduction targets, the Dutch government said earlier this month that it may meet its 2020 carbon dioxide emission goals after all due to a faster rollout of wind energy and 100 million euros ($110 million) in extra spending.

Prime Minister Mark Rutte called the goal "within grasp" after the Dutch Environmental Assessment Agency estimated carbon reduction by 2020 will be around 23 percent, compared to 1990 levels, up from a previous estimate of only 17 percent.

A dedicated climate authority would oversee the implementation of policies, while the national investment bank would fund innovation and large-scale energy projects, the group said.

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oil and gas refining and marketing (trbc)

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Dutch companies want next government to focus on shift to clean energy

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AMSTERDAM (Reuters) - Dozens of Dutch companies called on the country's next government on Tuesday to establish an independent climate authority, environment minister and national investment bank to speed up the shift to clean energy. The rare call for more government came from 39 companies, including oil giant Royal Dutch Shell, insurer Aegon and engineering consultancy Arcadis.

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You can view live National Grid data at: http://bmreports.com/bsp/bsp_home.htm
And there is also gridwatch which has a nice and simple front end http://www.gridwatch.templar.co.uk/

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Renewable Energy Canada
http://www.nrcan.gc.ca/energy/renewable-electricity/7295
http://www.iea.org/newsroom/news/2015/november/iea-hails-launch-of-new-canadian-co2-storage-project-first-to-cut-emissions-fro.html

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Great article about Spanish electricity System. I think it's a good summary of the successes and mistakes made in Spain in a transition to renewable energy. "Essential in maintaining security of supply in the face of intermittency, is Spain’s Renewable Energy Control Centre (Cecre)". CECRE is the first center in the world where the generation of renewable energy producers—principally wind—is managed. It allows the largest possible amount of renewable energy to be integrated into the electric system, maintaining quality and security.

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The worst polluting power station in Australia is likely to be closed soon. This is mainly due to economic realities and potential damage to corporate reputation - not government action. Whilst a sad reflection on government inaction, it means that action is not only dependent on government.

There is considerable concern about the workforce  and their future.
Article in The Age about this: http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/valley-lauds-union-plan-to-generate-fresh-jobs-once-hazelwood-runs-out-of-steam-20161028-gsd8sq.html

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A short article about the construction of HPP in Tajikistan which has a potential to become the tallest dam in the world http://www.power-technology.com/projects/rogun-hydropower-plant/

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China is building the largest waste-to-energy plant in the world

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China is building the largest waste-to-energy plant in the world

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It will turn a third of Shenzhen's trash into energy every single day.

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The Chinese city of Shenzhen plans to tackle its serious waste problem by burning 5,000 tonnes of it a day in what will become the largest waste-to-energy plant in the world.

The process, which is expected to turn at least a third of the trash into useable electricity, isn't exactly the best thing for the environment on account of all the CO2 it'll release, but it'll at least put a nice, big dent in the landfills and illegal dumps that have been building up in Shenzhen. One of these landfills actually killed dozens of people last year when it unexpectedly collapsed.

Expected to be up and running by 2020, the plant is less about generating electricity and more about finding a solution to the existing trash problem - the energy is just a handy bonus.

According to Adele Peters at Fast Company, the new incinerator is one of 300 waste-to-energy plants that the Chinese government plans on building over the next three years. And while there's been much debate over just how environmentally friendly (or not, as the case may be) burning all that trash is, many countries around the world have been using the process to essentially 'right the wrongs' of the past.

"Waste-to-energy plants are not an energy solution," Chris Hardie from Schmidt Hammer Lassen Architects, the Denmark-based firm that won a competition to design the plant, told Peters, adding that the amount of greenhouse gases emitted from decomposing landfills is around double the CO2 released by incineration.

"They are a way of dealing with waste and using this process to generate electricity as a byproduct of the process. Cities have to move towards more recycling and reducing their waste for sure - and of course developing more sources of renewable energy. That is sort of the point we are making by proposing this be the first waste-to-energy plant that has a renewable component to it," he said.

What Hardie is referring to there is the fact that the roof of the massive plant - which will stretch about 1.6 km long (1 mile) - will be topped with around 44,000 square metres of solar panels.

The idea is that the plant won't just be about getting rid of trash, it will be providing clean and sustainable electricity to the surrounding city, and inviting members of the public to visit the facility and see it in action.

"The waste challenge is all about education - and experiencing the scale of the challenge is part of that education process," says Hardie. "Think of it like smoking in the 1950s and 1960s - everyone smoked. It was only until a civilisation became educated on how much it was polluting our own bodies did we dramatically stop. Waste is similar. If you don't realise the damage it is doing, why stop creating waste?"

Ultimately, while burning trash is pretty much a necessary evil at this point, because there's no point pretending it doesn't exist, what China should also be focussing on is how to prevent similar build-ups in the future.

Fast Company points out that by 2020 - the year the plant is expected to be operational - San Francisco plans on being a zero-waste city through some serious composting and recycling efforts. If burning waste is our reality today, let's hope no waste at all will be our future.

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China Is Building The Largest Waste-to-Energy Plant in The World

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The Chinese city of Shenzhen plans to tackle its serious waste problem by burning 5,000 tonnes of it a day in what will become the largest waste-to-energy plant in the world.

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Shutting down efficiënt gasturbine power plants, while the share of black coal in electricity production almost doubled over the last 5 years.

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Shutting down efficiënt gasturbine power plants, while the share of black coal in electricity production almost doubled over the last 5 years.

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Gas turbine power plants produce a lot less emissions while producing electricity compared to power plants using black coal. Gasturbine power plants possess the necesarry flexibility to support renewable energy deliverance during periods of low availability. So this development feels like a step in the wrong dircection.
http://www.fluxenergie.nl/weeffout-elektriciteitsmarkt-reacties-op-sluiting-gascentrales-engie/

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In the UK, oil and gas in the North Sea is subject to tax breaks and subsidies, whilst green energy has had subsidies slashed. The UK at the moment appears to be continuing down the fossil fuels path, relying on future geoengineering solutions to meet the Paris Agreement targets.

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The UK Government is spending almost £6 billion ($9bn) a year propping up the uneconomic production of fossil fuels at home - despite promising with other G20 nations to phase out subsidies six years ago.

A new report by the Overseas Development Institute and Oil Change International for the first time gathers detailed information on G20 government subsidies for oil, gas and coal production.

The United Kingdom stands out as the only G7 nation significantly ramping up its support for the fossil fuel industry, with even more tax breaks and industry support handed out to companies operating in the North Sea in 2015.

In total G20 governments are handing out approximately $452 billion a year to prop up the fossil fuel production - almost four times the entire global subsidies for renewable energy ($121 billion).

This support defies pledges made in 2009 to phase out subsidies and prevent catastrophic climate change, and despite the global imperatives to keep three quarters of current fossil fuel reserves in the ground and declining returns in coal and new hard-to-reach oil and gas reserves.

The report, 'Empty Promises: G20 subsidies to oil, gas and coal production', examines three types of G20 government support in 2013 and 2014 - the most recent years with comparable data: national subsidies through direct spending and tax breaks; investment by state-owned enterprises; and public finance from government-owned banks and financial institutions.
Another £3.6 billion of UK money for fossil fuel production abroad
As well as spending an average of £5.9bn ($9bn) a year in UK production subsidies in 2013 and 2014, the UK provided a further £3.6bn ($5.5bn) in public finance, most of which went to prop up fossil fuel production overseas overseas. Beneficiary countries include Russia, Saudi Arabia and China.

That makes almost £10 billion in UK fossil fuel subsidies a year in all. More recent support handed out for oil and gas development in the North Sea, is expected to cost tax payers a further £1.7bn ($2.7bn) up to 2020 - even though the region's fields are in decline and have falling returns.

The report also details how companies benefitting from UK government support include foreign-owned multi-nationals. This includes generous tax breaks for North Sea exploration worth £551m ($838m) to the French company Total, £131m ($200m) to the US-based Apache and £267 ($407m) to Norway's government owned Statoil (in between 2009 and 2014).

Shelagh Whitley, of the Overseas Development Institute, said: "The UK has been cutting back support for solar power and energy efficiency, arguing that the burden was too high.
"Our figures reveal that in spite of supposed budget constraints the government is giving ever increasing hand-outs to oil and gas majors, most of which are not British companies. Scrapping fossil fuel subsidies would rebalance energy markets and allow a level playing field for clean and efficient alternatives." Turkey's shameful plan to double its CO₂ emissions
Published ahead of the G20 summit in Antalya, which begins tomorrow, the report makes embarrassing reading for host nation Turkey, which is giving tax breaks to support its programme of building more coal plants than any other OECD country potentially raising its own greenhouse gas emissions by 94% over the next 15 years.

Other key findings include:

G20 governments provided almost $78bn a year in national subsidies for fossil fuel production; G20 state-owned enterprises invested $286bn, and public finance was estimated to average a further $88bn a year in 2013 and 2014

Japan provided more public finance for fossil fuel production in 2013 and 2014 than any other G20 country, averaging $19bn per year, with $2.8bn per year in coal finance alone

The United States provided more than $20bn in national subsidies alone, despite calls from President Obama to scrap support to oil, gas and coal. Certain tax breaks in Alaska are so significant that, in the case of one production tax, the state is handing out more to companies than the tax generates in revenue for the state

Australia and Brazil both provided approximately $5bn in national subsidies, including for development of fossil fuel resources in increasingly remote and challenging areas

Russia provided almost $23bn in national subsidies, the highest of all G20 countries

China's investment in fossil fuel production at home and abroad, through its state-owned enterprises, far exceeded any other G20 country, amounting to almost $77bn annually

Investment by G20 state-owned enterprises in fossil fuel production is highly significant. G20 governments have a tremendous opportunity to meet the climate challenge by shifting the investment of state-owned enterprises away from fossil fuel production, toward clean energy

Shelagh Whitley, of the Overseas Development Institute, said: "G20 governments are paying fossil fuel producers to undermine their own policies on climate change. Scrapping these subsidies would rebalance energy markets and allow a level playing field for clean and efficient alternatives.
"By providing subsidies for fossil fuel production, the G20 countries are creating a 'lose-lose' scenario. They are directing large volumes of finance into high-carbon assets that cannot be exploited without catastrophic climate effects. This diverts investment from economic low-carbon alternatives such as solar, wind and hydro-power. "In addition, the scale of G20 fossil fuel production subsidies calls into question the commitment of governments to an ambitious deal on climate change." Signs of progress - US and China
At the end of September 2015, the US and China jointly prioritized the establishment of a concrete deadline for the phase-out of fossil fuel subsidies as a key task during China's G20 presidency in 2016.

In line with this momentum, the report recommends G20 governments adopt strict timelines for the phase out of fossil fuel production subsidies, increase transparency through improved reporting of fossil fuel subsidies, and transfer government support to wider public goods including low-carbon development and universal energy access.

But prospects for action in the G20 summit look poor. The ' key messages' page on the G20 meeting's subsite does not mention the word 'climate' once. 'Growth' occurs 16 times, 'investment' ten times and 'economy' nine times.

Stephen Kretzmann, director of Oil Change International, said: "Continuing to fund the fossil fuel industry today is like accelerating towards a wall that we can clearly see. G20 leaders need to slow down and turn us around before we hit climate disaster."

The report: 'Empty Promises: G20 subsidies to oil, gas and coal production' is published by the Overseas Development Institute & Oil Change International.

Action: Civil society organizations representing millions of supporters are organizing a Global Day of Action to Stop Funding Fossils on November 14.

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UK's £10 billion a year fossil fuel subsidies - and rising!

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In 2009 G20 nations pledged to eliminate fossil fuel subsidies. But they are still supporting them with $452 billion a year. Worst offenders include the UK, the only G7 country that's ramping up its fossil fuel spending; and Turkey, host of tomorrow's G20 summit, which plans to double its CO2 emissions with a huge new fleet of coal power plants.

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GREEN ENERGY CONSUMPTION UP IN NETHERLANDS

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GREEN ENERGY CONSUMPTION UP IN NETHERLANDS

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A brief overview regarding the sustainable energy usage in Netherlands from first half of 2016 based on the report of Statistics Netherlads.
http://nltimes.nl/2016/05/26/green-energy-consumption-up-in-netherlands/

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Denmark is leading in the sustainable energy transition and aims to be completely sustainable in 2050

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Denmark is leading in the sustainable energy transition and aims to be completely sustainable in 2050

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http://www.dw.com/en/denmark-leads-the-charge-in-renewable-energy/a-17603695

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NGO forces (in court) Dutch Goverment to commit to sustainability goals 

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NGO forces (in court) Dutch Goverment to commit to sustainability goals 

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http://www.urgenda.nl/en/climate-case/http://www.urgenda.nl/en/climate-case/

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Thermical Ecosilo placed in Uden (The Netherlands)

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Thermical Ecosilo placed in Uden (The Netherlands)

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In Uden, a project to store energy is in it's building state right now. Using a large Silo with 1500 m3 of water as a store medium.

Read it via:
http://www.bd.nl/regio/oss-uden-veghel-e-o/uden/udens-zwembad-is-thermisch-ecovat-1.6394934

It's in dutch.

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Unfortunatly this article is in dutch. But after the climate conference in Paris all kind of initiatives by government and industy concerning the energy usages and GHG emission are ventilated in the media.
Initiatives like a gass-free house are started.
http://nos.nl/artikel/2139765-afspraken-over-co2-reductie-op-klimaattop-in-rotterdam.html

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Key statistics on the Scottish renewable energy sector

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Key statistics on the Scottish renewable energy sector

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https://www.scottishrenewables.com/sectors/renewables-in-numbers/

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and there is a lot more to do.

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Here’s how to build 100% clean renewable energy in the US before 2040

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Here’s how to build 100% clean renewable energy in the US before 2040

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The plan calls for rapidly replacing all fossil fuel-based energy with renewable energy built with current technology, installed in a smart grid. We pay for it without damaging the economy and actually save money vs. our current reliance on fossil fuels. The ‘side benefits’ include cleaner air, cleaner water, less disease, more jobs and a livable climate.  http://energypost.eu/heres-build-100-clean-renewable-energy-us-2040/

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Spain averaged 47.2% renewable energy share in its generation mix

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Spain averaged 47.2% renewable energy share in its generation mix

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Spain has recently developed a strong mix of renewable generating capacity, led by wind power. However, Spain is considered an electricity island for its limitation to export; there is a tariff deficit due to bad tariff design, slow demand growth, and absence of political will to undertake adjustments; and the government has introduced the unpopular "sun tax"— legislation that placed a levy on “self-consumption” of energy generated through solar PV systems.

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The Netherlands are using less then 5% renewable energy. The urgency for energy transition is high.

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UK Expected to Miss 2020 Renewable Energy Target

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UK Expected to Miss 2020 Renewable Energy Target

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The UK is projected to fail in its target of producing 15% of total energy from renewables.

http://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-36710290

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The UK is almost certain to miss its EU 2020 targets for renewable energy, the National Grid has said.

The firm has produced UK future energy scenarios covering four different approaches in policy.

Even in the most environmentally minded scenario, the UK is projected to fail in its target of producing 15% of total energy from renewables.

The government no longer claims the 2020 target will be hit but a spokesman said the UK was making good progress.

The National Grid also says the UK will not achieve its own independently set long-term CO2 reduction plans unless tougher policies are imposed very soon.

Legally binding

The Climate Change Act mandates emissions cuts of 80% by 2050.

The government spokesman said the UK was still committed to the act, and last week ministers announced a world-leading interim step towards that goal.

But its advisers, the Committee on Climate Change, pointed to a huge mismatch between ministers' aspirations and their policies.

The National Grid's report says Britain's progress on wind and solar-powered electricity has been quicker than some people expected.

But the rate of progress towards electric and hydrogen cars needs to almost treble (from 15 terrawatt hours (TWh) to 40TWh) to meet the EU 2020 target.

And the uptake of clean heating systems like heat pumps is also a massive challenge - needing to increase from 35 - 95 TWh.

On National Grid's low-ambition scenario, the UK will miss the targets by nine years.

Even the greenest scenario only reaches the targets by 2022.

The renewables targets are legally binding and the EU may wish to punish nations that fail to meet them.

The UK's energy system is closely bound to the EU in many ways, and Britain benefits from being able to import electricity through undersea cables.

It is impossible at the moment to say how links will change after the UK voted to leave the EU in the 23 June referendum.

Whatever the UK's relationship with the EU, Britain's energy system will still have to follow the Climate Change Act.

'Still achievable'

The National Grid report says three technologies are needed to ensure a cost-effective path towards its goals - 22 gigawatts (GW) of nuclear, 100GW of renewables and 20GW of fossil fuel generation with carbon capture and storage technology in 2050.

A spokesman told BBC News: "The 2050 targets are still achievable, but we need much more momentum.

"The government has to change the trajectory or we are going to fail. We need to learn our lessons from where things have gone wrong so far."

The government is struggling to build nuclear plants and scrapped a fund for carbon capture technology after Prime Minister David Cameron previously said it was "crucial" for the UK.

He later said the technology was "not working" and complained that costs had not come down as expected.

Follow Roger on Twitter @rharrabin

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The UK is almost certain to miss its EU 2020 targets for renewable energy, the National Grid has said. The firm has produced UK future energy scenarios covering four different approaches in policy. Even in the most environmentally minded scenario, the UK is projected to fail in its target of producing 15% of total energy from renewables.

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I recently wrote a case-study on the efforts of a US city, Boulder to bring its energy systems (currently controlled by a private Investor Owned Utility) back under public hands. Here is a video that captures the campaign

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This is a grassroots David and Goliath campaign to create a landmark model for how communities can take control of their energy future. UPDATE: We won our campaign by a margin of more than 2-to-1!! But, Xcel is now fighting us with their team of lawyers and lobbyists.

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Polish energy sector in a nutshell

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Energy transition in the Netherlands; smart grid

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Energy transition in the Netherlands; smart grid

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The elektrical network in the Netherlands has to improve faster; according to Netbeheer Nederland.

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Fusion energy, the future or a colossal waste of money?

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ITER is the world's largest fusion experiment. Thirty-five nations are collaborating to build and operate the ITER Tokamak, the most complex machine ever designed, to prove that fusion is a viable source of large-scale, safe, and environmentally friendly energy for the planet.

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http://www.pv-tech.org/news/who-won-what-in-mexicos-us4-billion-second-renewable-energy-auction

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Solar energy production gaining seasonal momentum in the UK.

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Solar energy production gaining seasonal momentum in the UK.

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https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2016/oct/04/solar-outstrips-coal-in-past-six-months-of-uk-electricity-generation

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In the coming years, it is forecast that the potential of wind energy will continue to grow in the country. Mexico aims to reach 35% of power generation from clean energies by 2024, and it is estimated that 50% of this goal will be achieved thanks to wind energy. This is no surprise considering the maturity of wind-based technology,

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Biggest Sun-energy park in the Netherlands.

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Biggest Sun-energy park in the Netherlands.

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More than 30Mw will be generated, starting next month. Very thoughtfulness!
http://www.groningen-seaports.com/Nieuws/tabid/2122/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/325/language/en-US/Default.aspx

(Article in Dutch)
http://www.rtvnoord.nl/nieuws/167798/Zonnepanelen-voor-grootste-zonnepark-van-Nederland-worden-geplaatst

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Public resistance to  windturbines spoiling seaview....

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Public resistance to  windturbines spoiling seaview....

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It's not easy to convince everybody in The Netherlands that we really need every available form of sustainable energy generation!

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https://www.theguardian.com/business/2016/oct/07/kite-power-solutions-scotland-green-energy

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close to where my dad works in the UK they have just build 50 new wind turbines out on the marshland. I believe this is to try and make the UK greener in the production of power since coal, oil and gas are polluting our planet.

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close to where my dad works in the UK they have just build 50 new wind turbines out on the marshland. I believe this is to try and make the UK greener in the production of power since coal, oil and gas are polluting our planet.

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Change in the Nicaragua energy matrix and final energy prices

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Change in the Nicaragua energy matrix and final energy prices

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NIcaragua is a developing country that is currently producing more than 50% of its energy from renewable sources. Although energy prices for final consumers are high comparing with international benchmark.