Green, ethical, energy issues in the news

ed110220

Martyn1981 said:

Caught my attention as it's a big on-shore wind farm, or at least 1.2GW seems big to me, and also the number of WT's which suggests they will be biggies (for on-shore) at perhaps 5.3MW+. Cool.

Queensland green lights 1.2GW onshore giant

The government of Queensland in Australia has granted development approval to a 1200MW onshore wind farm.
The A$2bn (€1.2bn) Forest Wind project will comprise up to 226 turbines, with construction starting as early as the fourth quarter of 2020, subject to final consideration by the developer Forest Wind Holdings and the company finalising all contractual agreements.

Nice! 1.2 GW is pretty big. Also you need to bear in mind Queensland's population is fairly modest in European terms (5.071 million, comparable with Scotland's 5.438 million, Ireland's 4.83 million, Denmark's 5.603 million) and interconnection between Australian states isn't very good compared with European levels.

Martyn1981

Report on the enormous benefits that flexibility/storage could bring the UK:

UK 'urged' to deliver a more flexible future

The report produced by Energy UK, in partnership with the Association for Decentralised Energy (ADE) and BEAMA, will be launched later today at a Breakfast Briefing featuring speakers from Ofgem, BEIS and Imperial College, as well as the authors.

It highlights the crucial role flexibility services, like energy storage and demand side response (DSR), will play in reaching the net zero 2050 target and dealing with peaks and troughs in energy demand.

Flexibility will be key to making the most efficient use of increasingly intermittent sources of energy, such as wind and solar, in a low carbon energy system, the report said.

It noted that flexibility will ensure “security of supply and cut the amount that has to be spent on generation capacity and grid reinforcement, as well as give customers the chance to save money – or even be paid – for using energy at certain times of the day and enable them to use electric vehicles to store energy and then supply it for their own uses or sell back to the grid”.

The report cited research by the UK's Committee on Climate Change that estimated flexibility could deliver savings of £8bn a year by the end of the decade and as much as £40bn a year by 2050.
However, the authors expressed concern that despite widespread consensus on the importance of flexibility and its potential, progress with integrating it into the energy system has been slow and patchy, and the UK risks failing to make the most of the opportunity.

Sticking with storage, the UK's Highview Power that has developed LAES (liquid air energy storage) and scaleable solutions up to 200MW/1,200MWh, is gaining more support:

Sumitomo Heavy Industries backs Highview Power

Sumitomo Heavy Industries (SHI) has made a $46m (€42m) investment in cryogenic energy storage company Highview Power.

In addition to the investment SHI and Highview Power are partnering to “accelerate” the company’s “global growth initiatives”.

Harju-Jeanty said: “One of the biggest barriers to a carbon-free future has been the ability of renewables to perform as reliably as, and as cost-effectively as traditional fuel sources. Highview Power’s long-duration energy storage technology not only solves the problems that enable dispatchable renewables but will be a catalyst in bringing the energy transition forward.

EVandPV

'Super battery' for Scottish Power's Whitelee wind farm

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-glasgow-west-48582270

 "A huge super battery will be built on the site of the UK's largest wind farm, after plans were approved by the Scottish government. 

It will store power generated by the 215 turbines at Whitelee wind farm on Eaglesham Moor, near Glasgow.

Scottish Power, which operates the wind farm, said the battery storage site would be the size of half a football pitch.

Its planned capacity will make it largest wind farm battery in the UK."

ABrass

EVandPV said:

'Super battery' for Scottish Power's Whitelee wind farm

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-glasgow-west-48582270

 "A huge super battery will be built on the site of the UK's largest wind farm, after plans were approved by the Scottish government. 

It will store power generated by the 215 turbines at Whitelee wind farm on Eaglesham Moor, near Glasgow.

Scottish Power, which operates the wind farm, said the battery storage site would be the size of half a football pitch.

Its planned capacity will make it largest wind farm battery in the UK."

50MWh in case anyone else was wondering. Why the beeb didn't think to include that baffles me.

Pile_o_stone

ABrass said:

Scottish Power, which operates the wind farm, said the battery storage site would be the size of half a football pitch.

50MWh in case anyone else was wondering. Why the beeb didn't think to include that baffles me.

Thanks for the info. Also good to see that Scottish Power are using the British standard measure of football pitches.

Martyn1981

Pile_o_stone said:

ABrass said:

Scottish Power, which operates the wind farm, said the battery storage site would be the size of half a football pitch.

50MWh in case anyone else was wondering. Why the beeb didn't think to include that baffles me.

Thanks for the info. Also good to see that Scottish Power are using the British standard measure of football pitches.

Lest we forget - olympic swimming pools, Blue whales, Wales, London/double decker Buses, and for some reason I want to say Belgium ..... might have lost the plot!

EVandPV

Martyn1981 said:

Pile_o_stone said:

ABrass said:

Scottish Power, which operates the wind farm, said the battery storage site would be the size of half a football pitch.

50MWh in case anyone else was wondering. Why the beeb didn't think to include that baffles me.

Thanks for the info. Also good to see that Scottish Power are using the British standard measure of football pitches.

Lest we forget - olympic swimming pools, Blue whales, Wales, London/double decker Buses, and for some reason I want to say Belgium ..... might have lost the plot!

Yes, the CBeebies scale of measurements.   

The battery story was on the Scottish news this morning and it was mentioned that considerations are also being given to town and street level battery storage. 

EVandPV

 How Scotland's parks could heat homes with low-carbon energy

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-51588500

I used to play football here ....

"A scheme at Saughton Public Park in Edinburgh has been used as a pilot but only to heat buildings within the park."

Solarchaser

EVandPV said:

'Super battery' for Scottish Power's Whitelee wind farm

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-glasgow-west-48582270

 "A huge super battery will be built on the site of the UK's largest wind farm, after plans were approved by the Scottish government. 

It will store power generated by the 215 turbines at Whitelee wind farm on Eaglesham Moor, near Glasgow.

Scottish Power, which operates the wind farm, said the battery storage site would be the size of half a football pitch.

Its planned capacity will make it largest wind farm battery in the UK."

I tried to share that a wee while ago, but links kept failing.
Thanks for sharing

ABrass

Heathrow runway 3 has been blocked, at least for now.

Plans for a third runway at Heathrow airport have been ruled illegal by the court of appeal because ministers did not adequately take into account the government’s climate change commitments.

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/feb/27/heathrow-third-runway-ruled-illegal-over-climate-change