Construction Starts on World’s Largest Solar Power Plant

BrightSource Energy, the US-based developer of utility scale solar power plants, has started construction on its Ivanpah Solar Electric Generating System on a 3,500 acre site in California. When constructed, Ivanpah will be the world’s largest solar power plant. Once completed the 392 megawatt gross (370 megawatts nominal) Ivanpah project will nearly double the amount … Read more

Ireland at Forefront on Renewable Energy

Ireland is playing a lead role in Europe in adding wind power and other renewables to our energy supplies, a new report states. Ireland is on target to achieve its target of 40% of electricity from renewable sources by 2020, and in achieving that target, we will have one of highest levels of wind power … Read more

Ukraine Joins European Energy Community

Ukraine has joined the European Energy Community. The move extends the EU internal energy market to South East Europe and enhances the overall security of supply. The Ministerial Council of the Energy Community had approved the accession of Ukraine in December 2009, but the signature of the Accession Protocol was made subject to the adoption … Read more

Scotland’s Renewable Energy Target Raised to 80%

Scotland’s renewable electricity target for the next decade is being raised from 50% to 80%. First Minister Alex Salmond has confirmed the Scottish Government’s increased national target – now 80% of Scottish electricity consumption to come from renewables by 2020 – ahead of a major international conference – Scottish Low Carbon Investment Conference – next … Read more

EU-Africa Renewable Energy Partnership Launched

At the recent High Level Meeting of the Africa-EU Energy Partnership (AEEP) in Vienna, EU Commissioner for Development Andris Piebalgs and EU Commissioner for Energy Gunther Oettinger launched the Renewable Energy Cooperation Programme (RECP) together with the African Union and announced a planned contribution of Eur5 million to start the programme. This programme of cooperation … Read more

ESBI and MCT to Develop Major Tidal Energy Project Off Antrim Coast

ESB International (ESBI) has entered an agreement with the pioneering tidal energy company Marine Current Turbines (MCT) to develop an initial phase of a 100MW tidal energy project off the Antrim coast in Northern Ireland. ESBI and MCT will work together to submit a proposal to the forthcoming Marine Leasing Round in Northern Ireland to … Read more

ESB’s Next Generation €360m Power Plant at Aghada Sets New Standards

ESB’s recently completed 435 megawatts natural gas-fired power plant at its Aghada site near Middleton in County Cork is the most efficient and cleanest large-scale thermal facility in Ireland and also one of the most technologically advanced in Europe. The 435 megawatts Combined Cycle Gas Turbine (CCGT) power plant was built by global power engineering … Read more

Wind Delivers Close to 10% of Britain’s Electricity

Production of electricity from wind reached a historical record on the 6th of September this year, with around 10% of all electricity delivered to consumers generated by the UK’s wind farms, according to data from the National Grid. At the peak time of 8.30 pm on Monday 6th September, 1860MW was being generated – largely … Read more

Poultry Biomass Fuelled Power Plant Approved

Northern Ireland Environment Minister Edwin Poots has approved plans for a biomass fuelled power plant at Glenavy, County Antrim. The power plant will be fuelled by poultry bedding and meat and bone meal (approximately 260,000 tonnes annually) to produce 30MW of electricity as an output of the incineration process. The planning application by developer Rose Energy … Read more

Kedco to Develop €45 Million Waste-to-energy Plant in London

Cork-based bio-science energy company Kedco has been given clearance to commence construction of a €45 million waste-to-energy plant at Enfield in North London. Having recently received clearance from Enfield Council, Kedco is due to commence the 18 months construction project shortly. When completed, the new facility will convert 60,000 tonnes of waste wood a year … Read more