Exploring this week’s industry updates with ?????? ???????????????? as we highlight the latest trends in renewable energy. Viking Wind Farm, despite its potential, has faced challenges, with ￡2.48 million in payments issued to reduce output due to overproduction. Meanwhile, the sixth round of Contracts for Difference (CfD) auction results has provided support for 93 solar projects, unlocking a 3.3GW capacity boost. Bute Energy is calling for reforms in Welsh planning to meet 2030 targets, as the UK surpasses 30GW in wind power capacity. Innovative efforts like TotalEnergies’ floating wind turbines and heat battery trials show how new technologies are reshaping energy systems, ensuring a cleaner, more sustainable future. Let’s explore the key trends and developments that are shaping the future of renewable energy. ??????
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?? Industry Updates:
Catch up on the latest news, policy changes and trends.
- Miliband’s Flagship Wind Farm Paid Nearly ￡2.5m to Keep Turbines Switched Off - Renewable Energy Foundation figures show 62 per cent of Viking’s output has had to be discarded in its first month. The wind farm has so far been paid ￡2.48 million by the National Grid to reduce its?energy output, according to the REF analysis.?Known as constraint payments, they are paid out by the National Grid to incentivise wind farms to reduce output when more energy is generated than can be used locally or exported to consumers elsewhere in the UK, usually as a result of higher wind speeds. The payouts, which will ultimately be added to consumer bills, have been made almost every day this month and have varied between ￡227,192 and ￡8,408 per day. Read the full article.
- Solar Scores Record Results in CfD AR6 - The results of the sixth auction round (AR6) of the government’s Contracts for Difference (CfD) scheme have been released by the Department for Net Zero and Energy Security (DESNZ). A total of 93 ground-based solar projects, with a combined capacity of 3.3GW, scored support. Indeed, AR6 was allotted the highest-ever budget?for a funding round, reaching a total of ￡1.5 billion after the Labour government announced a ￡500 million increase on 30 July.?Strong market engagement meant competitive price discovery, which led to clearing prices for solar PV, onshore and offshore wind being awarded at over 18% below their administrative strike prices. Read the full article.
- Bute Energy: Welsh Planning System Needs Urgent Reform - Renewable energy developer Bute Energy has called for significant changes to the planning and permitting system for renewable energy developments in Wales in order to meet 2030 renewable capacity targets. In the wake of news that the UK has hit 30GW of operational wind energy capacity,
Stuart George, managing director at Bute Energy said: “We stand alongside our colleagues across the renewables industry in celebrating this significant milestone on our journey toward a greener, more sustainable future for the UK. Read the full article.
- UK Reaches 30 GW Wind Power Milestone - The UK has now surpassed 30 gigawatts (GW) of wind generation capacity with the opening of SSE Renewables’ Viking Wind Farm on the Shetland Islands, which added the last 443 megawatts (MW) to the total. According to the data findings, to recent research from RenewableUK’s market intelligence and data tracker EnergyPulse, the UK’s total operational wind capacity, combining onshore and offshore, now stands at 30,299MW. This is sufficient to power more than 26 million homes annually and reduce carbon emissions by more than 35 million tonnes each year. Read the full article.
- Lido Fundraises For 'Challenging' Solar Plan - A popular lido is raising funds to transform its car park with solar panels on stilts, bike storage and EV charging points. The project at Sanford Parks Lido in Cheltenham will cost more than ￡500,000 and has already received more than ￡300,000 from Sports England and Cheltenham Borough Council. Once installed the solar panels will generate enough electricity for the entire site - meaning costs will be at zero. Read the full article.
- Solar Farms Will Boost Food Security, Says Solar Energy Scotland - Industry body Solar Energy Scotland has made a statement in support of increasing the number of UK solar farms, and fighting the myth that solar farms are a threat to food security. Ahead of the release of the Scottish Government’s Energy Strategy and Just Transition Plan, Solar Energy Scotland notes that climate change is a much larger threat to food security than land use from ground-mounted solar developments, adding that the land needed to meet Scotland’s solar generations is a far smaller amount than that dedicated to other, less beneficial uses. Read the full article.
?? Innovative Technologies:
Discovering the cutting-edge technologies and innovations that are driving sustainability and reshaping the industry.
- TotalEnergies Pilots Floating Wind Turbine to Power UK North Sea Platform - TotalEnergies SE has launched a pilot floating wind turbine project at the Culzean offshore platform in the United Kingdom’s portion of the North Sea. The three-megawatt (MW) floating wind turbine will provide renewable power to the Culzean platform, or around 20 percent of Culzean’s power requirement once it reaches full operation capacity by the end of 2025. It will be located 1.2 miles west of the platform, 136 miles off the eastern coast of Scotland. TotalEnergies said Ocergy will design a modular, light semi-submersible floater hull on which the turbine will be installed. This approach allows for fast assembly and cost optimization, according to TotalEnergies. Read the full story.
- Trial Shows Heat Batteries Can Revolutionise UK Home Heating - Led by UK Power Networks, in partnership with OVO and tepeo,?The Neat Heat trial ran for 18 months and involved installing tepeo’s Zero Emission Boiler (ZEB), which uses heat battery technology, into customers' homes in the Southeast and East of England. The findings clearly demonstrated that heat batteries, an all-electric low-carbon alternative to fossil fuel boilers, can provide grid flexibility by shifting peak energy demand for heating to off-peak times by up to 95 percent. This means that homes could be efficiently heated even in the depths of winter, whilst providing substantial carbon savings of ~15,600 kgCO2e compared to if these homes were using gas boilers instead. Read the full article.
?? Project Pipelines:
This weeks projects and initiatives that are making a positive impact.
- Bluefield Sells 50% Stake in UK Solar Portfolio - The deal’s closing marks the completion of phase two of Bluefield’s long-term strategic team-up with GLIL, an alliance of UK pension funds, investing in core UK infrastructure, including Local Pensions Partnership Investments, Greater Manchester Pension Fund, Merseyside Pension Fund, West Yorkshire Pension Fund and Nest. GLIL has a ￡3bn portfolio of infrastructure assets. Upon amalgamation with the Lightsource BP portfolio acquisition, in which Bluefield Solar took a 9% equity interest in tandem with GLIL under phase one of the strategic partnership in December 2023, the asset owner’s equity stake across the combined portfolios has increased to 25%. Read the full article.
- ADE Announces ￡50m Strategic Partnership With Oakes Energy - AMPYR Distributed Energy, an investor in onsite sustainable energy solutions, has announced a partnership with Oakes Energy Services. The ￡50 million strategic partnership will focus on an immediate portfolio of behind-the-meter ground-mounted solar energy projects delivered by Oakes. As a result of the agreement, the installer will deliver fully funded renewable energy projects for commercial and industrial customers as part of its ambitious growth plans. Director of Oakes, Nik Smith, said the partnership would fast-track the company’s expansion and that AMPYR’s “commitment to simplifying behind-the-meter energy perfectly aligns with our portfolio of projects”. Read the full article.
- Second Consultation Opens for EDF’s Buckinghamshire Utility-Scale PV Project - EDF Renewables has opened its consultation on updated proposals for the Rosefield Solar Farm project that will also feature battery storage and is classed as a nationally significant infrastructure project (NSIP). The project, which is based between Buckinghamshire and Aylesbury, is co-owned by EDF Renewables and PS Renewables, a UK-based renewable energy development and construction company. The update comes after a consultation in September 2023. It includes changes such as a reduction of almost 40% in the area proposed for solar panels, a fivefold increase in the area set aside for nature and larger offsets from nearby homes. Read the full article.
- Sungrow Signs Supply Deal With Penso Power, BW ESS - PV inverter and battery energy storage system (BESS) provider Sungrow has signed an agreement with two major developers to supply BESS systems for an upcoming UK storage project. Sungrow will supply 280 sets of its PowerTitan 2.0 liquid-cooled BESS units for the Hams Hall energy storage project, which is currently under development in North Warwickshire, England. The Hams Hall project, which was granted planning consent in May 2022, is a 350MW/1750MWh BESS project by Penso Power and Luminous Energy, funded by BW ESS. While all three of these companies are joint shareholders in the development, Penso Power is overseeing the project’s development and will manage the project once it is operational. Penso Power has large ambitions for the project, claiming that there is scope for greater than five hour duration services from the project in the future. Read the full article.
- Baywa.re
Receives Planning Consent for First Irish Solar Farm - Renewable Energy Developer BayWa.re
has been granted planning permission for the Springmount Solar Farm, its first Irish solar project. Permission for the 60MWp development was granted by Tipperary County Council and An Bord Pleanála. The project will be situated on 69 hectares of land around 7km west of Clonmel. Planning permission has been granted for a period of ten years, with operational life set to be 40 years, after which the solar farm will be fully decommissioned. The development also includes a loop in the substation, which will connect to the 110kV power line which runs between the towns of Cahir and Doon. Read the full article.
- Kona’s 228MW BESS Greenlit by Scottish Government - The Scottish government has consented a 228MW/456MWh battery energy storage project (BESS) to be constructed and operated by developer Kona Energy. The 2-hour Smeaton BESS in East Lothian is strategically located to enhance grid resilience and reduce grid constraints, Kona said. The nearby Torness nuclear power station is due to shut down in 2028, which will increase the utility of the Smeaton BESS, it added. Kona did not say when it expected the project to come online, but said it would now be seeking investment to bring the project to market. Read the full article.
- UK Approves Chinese-backed Megabattery Project After National Security Review - The British government has approved a major battery storage facility in the UK, which is backed by a joint venture involving US investment giant Blackrock and KX Power, a?UK-registered asset manager with ties to Chinese investors. The UK launched a national security review of the proposed 80-megawatt project, led by former Chinese diplomat Zhe Zhang, but has decided to approve the plans, with only minor conditions attached. Cabinet minister Pat McFadden approved the deal last week with stipulations that KX Power must notify the government of any changes to the power buyer and adhere to strict data-sharing protocols. Read the full article.
? Talent Spotlight:
Highlighting this weeks hottest jobs in the renewable industry.
- Public Sector Contracts Manager | Remote | Up to ￡85k - View Job
- Solar & Comms Engineer | Germany | Up to $60k - View Job
- Solar & Comms Engineer | Milton Keynes/Nationwide | Up to ￡50k - View Job
- Electrical Project Engineer | Wadebridge | Up to ￡50k - View Job
- Solar Construction Manager | Nationwide | Up to ￡75k - View Job
- Project Manager - Wind | Wadebridge | Up to ￡50k - View Job
For all the latest roles, updates and help with hiring specialist, cleantech talent check out Zero Global
- Shaping the future #WithPurpose
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