The Renewables Obligation buyout fund was £97.5m light for 2018-19, Ofgem has confirmed, with many of the companies that owe money now defunct. That leaves other suppliers to pick up the tab, although three firms – Nabuh Energy, Planet 9 Energy and Hudson Energy, which is now owned by Shell – paid £38.7m after the deadline, Read more…
Hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicle charger aims to solve capacity crunch
Hydrogen power firm AFC Energy has launched a rapid electric vehicle hydrogen fuel cell charger aimed at areas where grid capacity is constrained, or lacking entirely. Firms installing rapid chargers nationwide have suggested around one in four sites are too constrained to accommodate infrastructure. Others have described finding suitable sites as akin to a game Read more…
UKPN launches vehicle-to-grid hub
UK Power Networks has pulled together details of vehicle-to-grid trials around the world at V2G Hub. The distribution network operator is involved in various EV trials exploring smart charging and flexibility, including Optimise Prime, which includes Royal Mail, Centrica and Uber fleets (though the DNO is still trying to recruit other participants). It is hoped Read more…
SEEIT: 2020 will be a big year for renewable energy PPAs
2020 will be a big year for clean energy investment, with subsidy-free development under power purchase agreements (PPAs) starting to gain significant momentum, according to Jonathan Maxwell, CEO of Sustainable Development Capital Limited. SDLC launched sustainable energy investment fund SEEIT 12 months ago, initially raising £100m. Since then it has almost tripled in size while Read more…
National Grid outlines future of frequency response
National Grid Electricity System Operator (ESO) has outlined the future of frequency response and reserve procurement as it bids to keep an increasingly renewables-driven power system stable. As renewables penetration increases, usable inertia on the system is falling – and that is likely to continue, said the ESO. So it has redesigned frequency services to Read more…
After Npower, where next for UK energy retail market?
Jo Butlin, MD of consultancy EnergyBridge, says Npower’s demise is symptomatic of a failing market. Government and Ofgem must act fast – before the wheels come off entirely. As the tragic news of 4,500 job losses from Npower reverberates around the UK, there is finally a real sense of shock and concern on the direction Read more…
New CEO at demand-side response firm Flexitricity
Demand-side response aggregator Flexitricity has appointed Simon Heyes as CEO, following Ron Ramage’s departure. Heyes, a mechanical engineer, has extensive renewable energy experience. He was general manager of SSE Renewables, spent six and a half years as wind energy development and construction director at Infinis and gained top level experience as chief executive of kite Read more…
WPD and ENW plan substation arrays to power electric vehicles
Distribution network operators Western Power Distribution and Electricity North West are working on plans to connect substations together in order to create on-street rapid electric vehicle charging hubs. Consultancy Ricardo is also involved in the £5.6m trial funded under Ofgem’s innovation scheme that allows DNOs to spend money to develop a smarter power system. Substations Read more…
Study: smart charging trumps V2G value – for now
A study involving Honda, Salford University, Good Energy and Upside Energy suggests vehicle-to-grid (V2G) revenues are eaten up by high hardware costs. As such, smart charging may deliver much of the available benefit for lower outlay – at least within domestic premises. The Haven trial looked at savings or revenues available to energy suppliers and Read more…
Eon wields the knife at Npower, big cuts ahead
Eon has moved to stem big losses at Npower, planning major job cuts and removing CEO Paul Coffey. The company plans to fuse Eon and Npower back-ends, though Npower’s larger business customer unit will remain separate. “We will then be upgrading just one set of IT infrastructure instead of two separate systems and teams,” said Read more…
Capacity Market: 33 suppliers owe £38m in payments
Energy suppliers have failed to pay £38m in Capacity Market back payments. Some have already gone bust while others are teetering under the weight of outstanding Renewables Obligation levies. The deadline for suppliers to make ‘standstill payments’ of Capacity Market (CM) levies covering the period while the market was suspended passed on 22 November. Around Read more…
Lightsource BP strikes 5MW solar PPA with Ibstock Brick
Lightsource BP is to construct a 4.9MWp solar installation at Ibstock Brick’s Leicestershire headquarters. The scheme is fully funded by Lightsource BP and a power purchase agreement (PPA) will see electricity from the installation ‘hard-wired’ into Ibstock Brick’s private electricity network, providing 30 per cent of the site’s annual electricity demand. Ibstock Brick will purchase Read more…
Viridor signs 27MW private wire agreement, eyes more energy parks
Pennon-owned Viridor has signed a 27MW private wire agreement with a data centre for offtake of power from its Beddington energy from waste plant. Posting first half results, the company said it plans to develop energy parks across its 12 energy from waste (EfW) facilities, and is considering two new sites in addition to a Read more…
National Grid launches nine-year reactive power tender
National Grid ESO is offering nine-year contracts for reactive power services in the Mersey region. Reactive power helps keep voltage levels stable, with providers either generating or absorbing reactive power. The Mersey tender is for absorption. The tender is in two stages, a technical submission on 13 Dec and a commercial submission on 21 Feb Read more…
Mitsubishi to buy Eneco as energy management push advances
Mitsubishi Corporation is to take an 80 per cent stake in Dutch energy firm Eneco. Fellow Japanese firm Chubu will take the remaining 20 per cent as part of the €4.1bn deal. Eneco is owned by 44 municipalities. It owns or has a share in 3.5GW of generation, of which almost half is onshore wind. Read more…
Utilities take evasive action against nationalisation
Fearing nationalisation below market rate, utilities are offshoring parts of their business. SSE has headquartered its transmission and distribution business in Switzerland. It described the move as protective, stating: “Switzerland is a party to the Energy Charter Treaty, and the incorporation of a Swiss company is also an additional safeguard, which SSE does not believe Read more…
Ofgem confirms plans for new network charges
Ofgem has confirmed that it will make businesses pay for the ability to use the network via a banded fixed charge and end payments they can receive by helping suppliers avoid balancing charges. Firms with onsite generation have been able to reduce the amount they pay to use the power system, and have earned money Read more…
What direction will energy policy take next year? Free webinar to find out
There’s been a lot of change in energy policy and regulations this year. Just look at this list of schemes that have started, stopped or been consulted on: Targeted Charging Review. Capacity Market. Renewable Obligation. Feed in Tariff. Smart Export Guarantee. Market Making Obligation. Carbon Reduction Commitment. Streamlined Energy Carbon Reporting. Non-domestic building regulations. Industrial Read more…
LCP Capacity Market 2020 auction analysis
LCP’s Kyle Martin outlines key considerations for upcoming Capacity Market auctions and offers a view on what the European Commission’s mandated changes may mean. Reapproval of the Capacity Market The European Commission’s decision on the 24 October to confirm that the GB Capacity Market (CM) is compatible with State Aid rules was a relief for Read more…
Northern Powergrid seeks 100MW of flex
Northern Powergrid is attempting to procure up to 100MW of flexible demand or generation via a reverse online auction. The minimum threshold is 100kW and the distribution network operator said it is keen to hear from major energy users such as factories or supermarkets, power generators, aggregators and those with storage assets. To be able Read more…
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