EDF could be fined over power cuts
June 25, 2010 at 12:55 pm
EDF Energy could be in line for a massive fine of £2 million from Ofgem following a huge power cut last year. Nearly 100,000 people in Dartford were affected by the power cut over a period of three days, and now it looks like EDF will have to face the consequences.
The power failure was caused as the result of a fire at the cable bridge at Dartford Creek in July 2009. As a result, 94,000 homes and businesses in the area were left without power.
Ofgem has confirmed that it is “minded to” fine EDF for the power failure that affected so many people. A report from Ofgem states that it believes the company could have done more to reduce the risk of the power cut occurring – this despite the fact that it is believed the fire was started by vandals.
The decision on whether or not to impose the fine is subject to a month-long consultation. A final decision on whether the company will have to pay out £2 million is expected in August 2010.
Despite the likelihood of a fine, Ofgem states in the report that it agrees that the fire was out of EDF’s control. It also agrees that the company took steps to reduce the customers who were affected by restoring supplies quickly.
However, the problems lie with the extent of the action EDF took before the fire, with Ofgem claiming that it did not do enough to reduce the risk of such an event taking place, in particular the fact that it did not have enough inspections or security at the site.
It is not yet known whether customers affected by the blackout will be entitled to any compensation.
"Smart" appliances could reduce our emissions
June 18, 2010 at 12:13 pm
A trial of “smart” appliances which could drastically cut the UK’s carbon dioxide emissions started last week in the Midlands. The trial shuts down the power supply to “smart” fridge freezers at times when the demand for electricity threatens to exceed supply.
300 homes in Sandwell in the West Midlands have received these intelligent fridge freezers and this is just the start of the two-year trial by npower which will involve 3,000 homes altogether.
If we all had one of these smart appliances Britain’s emissions would drop by two million tonnes which is equivalent to removing 700,000 cars from our roads. If the trial is successful, we will all be offered grants and cheaper tariffs by the energy companies to act as an incentive to buy the smart appliances.
The dynamic demand system is already used by various large industrial customers who permit the national grid to disconnect them at times of peak demand.
In the domestic trial, technology will monitor the frequency of the national grid and when it detects that the frequency has dropped below 50 Hz it will turn off the supply, resuming when the frequency returns to normal.
Customers are unlikely to notice anything different and there will be no danger of food spoiling since the system will be over-ridden if the temperature rises above a safe level.
Sony, in their bid to maximise their green credentials, have recently launched a “smart” television which dims, thereby reducing power consumption, if the inbuilt camera detects that the viewer has lowered their head to read or has fallen asleep.
UK will miss its renewable energy targets
June 11, 2010 at 3:58 am
Britain’s renewable energy target is to achieve a 34% cut in greenhouse gas emissions on 1990 levels by 2020, as set by the European Union. However, despite numerous schemes being developed to increase the amount of electricity produced by wind power and solar power, the country is set to miss this target, according to a report by Cambridge Econometrics.
The news may be surprising considering that the first two carbon budgets that take place up to 2017, which make up part of the overall target, are going to be met. However, the reason that these budgets will be met is due to reduced industrial output as a result of the economic slowdown. Indeed, carbon emissions fell by 10% in 2009, and should fall even further in 2010.
The third budget, from 2018-2022, is likely to be missed. And if this third carbon budget is missed, the target of 34% is also likely to be missed.
According to the report, Britain is going to fall well below its targets. The likely figures for 2010 and 2020 are going to be 7% and 16.5% respectively, well short of the required levels.
If the country misses this first target of 34% by 2020, it will not be in a good position to hit its future target of 80% by 2050.
Paul Elkins, the senior consultant at Cambridge Econometrics who is co-author of the report, said that “the challenge now is to ensure that the 2020 targets are met by policies that can cause emissions to fall substantially in a context of economic growth”.
Thanet wind farm up and running
June 3, 2010 at 2:55 pm
Thanet Wind Farm, which is being billed as the biggest offshore wind farm in the world, has just started to produce electricity. The mammoth farm is located 12 km off the coast of Kent at Foreness Point. On May 16 it produced power for the very first time, with the developers of the project, the Swedish company Vattenfall, confirming that between 2MW and 2.8MW were produced.
When it is fully up and running, the farm is expected to produce a total capacity of 300MW. This is a significant amount, and will be enough to power up to 240,000 homes in the UK.
Work began on the monster site at the end of 2008. Each turbine will be up to 115m tall, meaning each will be able to provide a significant amount of electricity. This will go a long way to helping the government reach its targets for renewable energy.
Although power is now being produced, the rest of the work is not expected to be completed until this summer, with the last turbine planned to be producing clean electricity by September.
Ole Bigum Nielson, from Vattenfall, said that the production of power is a “major milestone in the construction of the wind farm”, adding that it is going to schedule “in spite of difficult winter weather”.
Although it is currently the biggest in the world, by 2014 the London Array project will start to produce electricity, and with 350 turbines this will be able to produce up to 1GW of power, over three times as much as Thanet.
