By Richard Frape, Director of Market Services, Spectron UK gas and power prices rose 25% over the course of 2010, ending the year on a surge as the coldest December in 100 years propelled consumption levels higher and pushed short-term gas prices towards a two-year high. Prices then started to ease sharply at the start … Read more
The recent start-up of the grid interconnection between the UK and the Netherlands is a major step forward for a better interconnected electricity grid in Europe. The European Wind Energy Association (EWEA) is a strong supporter of an integrated power grid in Europe and believes that the BritNed link, which has just gone live, is … Read more
UK energy regulator Ofgem (Office of the Gas and Electricity Markets) has confirmed new rules that mean energy suppliers must give consumers at least 30 days advance notice before putting up their prices. The changes come into effect on 28 April 2011. This means that suppliers have 30 days in which to put these changes … Read more
The UK’s first fully integrated sorting and recycling facility for mixed household plastic packaging has been opened at Redcar in the North East of England. The facility, owned by Biffa Polymers, won £1.2 million in funding from WRAP in January 2010, following WRAP research demonstrating the environmental benefits, commercial and technological viability for mixed plastics … Read more
The water and carbon footprint of wasted household food in the UK has been identified for the first time, highlighting the major environmental consequences of food waste, both domestically and globally. The report, ‘The Water and Carbon Footprint of Household Food Waste in the UK’ – jointly published by WRAP (Waste & Resources Action Programme) … Read more
County Kildare-based wind and solar energy group Natural Power Company is to establish a new wind turbine manufacturing plant, resulting in the creation of 50 new jobs over the next three years. Located at in Ballymore Eustace, the company is already a licensed manufacturer of 500kW wind turbines for Belgian company Turbowinds. Natural Power Company … Read more
UK energy regulator Ofgem has announced how the new performance-based RIIO framework will encourage the efficient investment and innovation required for Britain’s gas and electricity transmission and gas distribution networks. The price controls for these networks will run for eight years from 2013-2021. RIIO (Revenue=Incentives+Innovation+Outputs) is designed to incentivise companies to meet the unprecedented challenges … Read more
E.ON is selling its UK electricity power distribution business, Central Networks, to PPL Corporation of the US for £4 billion. Central Networks is the UK’s second largest electricity distributor and operates the regional grid that covers the UK’s Midlands. Through its network of 133,000 km of overhead and underground cables, the business delivers power to … Read more
According to the latest glass recycling estimates – published one year ahead of the official Eurostat data – more than 67% of glass bottles and jars were collected for recycling in the European Union in 2009. The figures released by FEVE, the EU Container Glass Federation, translate into about 11 million tonnes or 25 billion … Read more
BP plans to sell its interests in a number of operated oil and gas fields in the UK. The assets involved are the Wytch Farm onshore oilfield in Dorset and all of BP’s operated gas fields in the Southern North Sea, including associated pipeline infrastructure and the Dimlington terminal. BP anticipates that the staff currently … Read more