The document summarizes a UK power generation debate event that discussed the current state of the UK power market and generation mix. It includes an agenda that covers topics like the current generation split by source, sustainability and emissions issues, and headlines on various generation methods like coal, gas, nuclear, wind, and solar. It also includes panels from industry experts who discuss issues like the transition to low carbon energy, balancing the power system, the evolution of smart markets and grids, and considerations around the energy trilemma of security, sustainability and affordability.
Germany is Europe’s biggest energy consumer. As a large and industrial country with moderate natural endowments, it sets an example of what can be done with a progressive energy policy. Germany leads the charge on renewables, has an ambitious energy efficiency policy, is committed to phasing out nuclear power generation and uses ETS revenues fully for the fight against climate change. However, the future of the German energy transition is rather uncertain. Are energy prices sustainable with the current high taxation rates? How to expand the high-voltage grid to integrate wind generation from the North? What will be the future role of coal and gas? This webinar presentation reviews the most important energy statistics for Germany, focussed on a few highlights of its energy policy and concludes with a series of open discussion points.
Harsha Wickramasinghe:Research related to energy security opportunities & pi...costi2014
Presentation by Mr. Harsha Wickramasinghe: Deputy Director General-Sustainable Energy Authority on Research related to energy security : Opportunities & pitfalls" conducted at the Roundtable Discussion on Energy Security on September 16, 2014 and SLIDA Sri Lanka
Spring Seminar FUNSEAM
The Clean Energy Package and the Role of Renewables
Sofia Pinto Barbosa
Unit Renewable Energy and CCS Policy, DG ENERGY
European Commission
Madrid, March 23rd. 2017
FUNSEAM AND EDP RENOVÁVEIS
Germany is Europe’s biggest energy consumer. As a large and industrial country with moderate natural endowments, it sets an example of what can be done with a progressive energy policy. Germany leads the charge on renewables, has an ambitious energy efficiency policy, is committed to phasing out nuclear power generation and uses ETS revenues fully for the fight against climate change. However, the future of the German energy transition is rather uncertain. Are energy prices sustainable with the current high taxation rates? How to expand the high-voltage grid to integrate wind generation from the North? What will be the future role of coal and gas? This webinar presentation reviews the most important energy statistics for Germany, focussed on a few highlights of its energy policy and concludes with a series of open discussion points.
Harsha Wickramasinghe:Research related to energy security opportunities & pi...costi2014
Presentation by Mr. Harsha Wickramasinghe: Deputy Director General-Sustainable Energy Authority on Research related to energy security : Opportunities & pitfalls" conducted at the Roundtable Discussion on Energy Security on September 16, 2014 and SLIDA Sri Lanka
Spring Seminar FUNSEAM
The Clean Energy Package and the Role of Renewables
Sofia Pinto Barbosa
Unit Renewable Energy and CCS Policy, DG ENERGY
European Commission
Madrid, March 23rd. 2017
FUNSEAM AND EDP RENOVÁVEIS
Recent IEA analyses on behind-the-meter energy system trendsLeonardo ENERGY
This webinar will present recent IEA analyses on “behind-the-meter” energy sector trends, including:
* why energy efficiency progress has been slowing,
* how increasing flexible load can help decarbonise the energy system, and
* mid-term projections for the growth in distributed solar PV.
The presentation will involve analysts from the IEA’s Energy Efficiency, Renewables and World Energy Outlook teams who will present findings from three of the agency’s flagship reports and answer questions from participants.
Sustainable energy and climate mitigation pathways in the Republic of MauritiusIEA-ETSAP
nable strategies and low emission pathways in Small Island Developing States: a costoptimization approach for the integration of renewables in the Republic of Mauritius.
Ms. Anna Genave, Université de La Réunion
Households are happy to join together and provide power flexibility for clima...Leonardo ENERGY
Residential and small commercial electricity consumers will provide most of the flexibility needed in the power system to achieve the energy transition at lower cost. This flexibility will allow the electricity grid to take on more renewables and need less grid reinforcements. Consumers are happy to participate (>75% opt-in rate) via an aggregator and be rewarded with energy savings reducing their electricity. Because it reduces the overall costs of running the energy system, it means that all consumers benefit from lower energy prices. The business case is now proven as more and more countries worldwide ensure demand side response can participate in wholesale markets as an alternative to generation and the EU has provided support through its recent Clean Energy Package. Pierre Bivas from Voltalis will share his experience of operating flexibility from more than 100,000 households in France, and now installing another 150,000, backed by the European Investment Bank, while also developing in other countries with local partners.
Presentation del Clean Energy Package de la Comisión European en el Winter Seminar de Funseam 2016, organizado por Funseam y Gas Natural Fenosa
Paula PinhoHead of Unit – Energy Policy CoordinationEuropean Commission – DG ENERGY
Germany is Europe’s biggest energy consumer. As a large and industrial country with moderate natural endowments, it sets an example of what can be done with a progressive energy policy. Germany leads the charge on renewables, has an ambitious energy efficiency policy, is committed to phasing out nuclear power generation and uses ETS revenues fully for the fight against climate change. However, the future of the German energy transition is rather uncertain. Are energy prices sustainable with the current high taxation rates? How to expand the high-voltage grid to integrate wind generation from the North? What will be the future role of coal and gas? In this discussion webinar, we will review the most important energy statistics for Germany, present a few highlights on its energy policy and conclude with a series of open discussion points.
Patricia de Suzzoni, Advisor to the President, CRE, France. WG chair, CEER- Council of European Energy Regulators. WG chair, ICER - International Confederation of Energy Regulators Commission de Régulation de l'Energie
Mesa 3. La estrategia energética 2030: hacia un nuevo modelo energético
IV Simposio Empresarial Internacional
Barcelona, 1 de Febrero de 2016
Piedmont Lithium Limited (Nasdaq: PLL) holds a 100% interest in the Piedmont Lithium Project (“Project”) located within the world-class Carolina Tin-Spodumene Belt (“TSB”) and along trend to the Hallman Beam and Kings Mountain mines, historically providing most of the western world’s lithium between the 1950s and the 1980s. The TSB has been described as one of the largest lithium provinces in the world and is located approximately 25 miles west of Charlotte, North Carolina. It is a premier location for development of an integrated lithium business based on its favorable geology, proven metallurgy and easy access to infrastructure, power, R&D centers for lithium and battery storage, major high-tech population centers and downstream lithium processing facilities. Compared to Australian- and Canadian-based projects, North Carolina offers a significantly lower-cost operating environment (labor, power/gas/diesel, transport), which is further boosted by the absence of government royalties and a low tax rate environment. Lithium is on the US Government’s Critical Minerals list, giving the project significant strategic value as being the only conventional US lithium development project.
Recent IEA analyses on behind-the-meter energy system trendsLeonardo ENERGY
This webinar will present recent IEA analyses on “behind-the-meter” energy sector trends, including:
* why energy efficiency progress has been slowing,
* how increasing flexible load can help decarbonise the energy system, and
* mid-term projections for the growth in distributed solar PV.
The presentation will involve analysts from the IEA’s Energy Efficiency, Renewables and World Energy Outlook teams who will present findings from three of the agency’s flagship reports and answer questions from participants.
Sustainable energy and climate mitigation pathways in the Republic of MauritiusIEA-ETSAP
nable strategies and low emission pathways in Small Island Developing States: a costoptimization approach for the integration of renewables in the Republic of Mauritius.
Ms. Anna Genave, Université de La Réunion
Households are happy to join together and provide power flexibility for clima...Leonardo ENERGY
Residential and small commercial electricity consumers will provide most of the flexibility needed in the power system to achieve the energy transition at lower cost. This flexibility will allow the electricity grid to take on more renewables and need less grid reinforcements. Consumers are happy to participate (>75% opt-in rate) via an aggregator and be rewarded with energy savings reducing their electricity. Because it reduces the overall costs of running the energy system, it means that all consumers benefit from lower energy prices. The business case is now proven as more and more countries worldwide ensure demand side response can participate in wholesale markets as an alternative to generation and the EU has provided support through its recent Clean Energy Package. Pierre Bivas from Voltalis will share his experience of operating flexibility from more than 100,000 households in France, and now installing another 150,000, backed by the European Investment Bank, while also developing in other countries with local partners.
Presentation del Clean Energy Package de la Comisión European en el Winter Seminar de Funseam 2016, organizado por Funseam y Gas Natural Fenosa
Paula PinhoHead of Unit – Energy Policy CoordinationEuropean Commission – DG ENERGY
Germany is Europe’s biggest energy consumer. As a large and industrial country with moderate natural endowments, it sets an example of what can be done with a progressive energy policy. Germany leads the charge on renewables, has an ambitious energy efficiency policy, is committed to phasing out nuclear power generation and uses ETS revenues fully for the fight against climate change. However, the future of the German energy transition is rather uncertain. Are energy prices sustainable with the current high taxation rates? How to expand the high-voltage grid to integrate wind generation from the North? What will be the future role of coal and gas? In this discussion webinar, we will review the most important energy statistics for Germany, present a few highlights on its energy policy and conclude with a series of open discussion points.
Patricia de Suzzoni, Advisor to the President, CRE, France. WG chair, CEER- Council of European Energy Regulators. WG chair, ICER - International Confederation of Energy Regulators Commission de Régulation de l'Energie
Mesa 3. La estrategia energética 2030: hacia un nuevo modelo energético
IV Simposio Empresarial Internacional
Barcelona, 1 de Febrero de 2016
Piedmont Lithium Limited (Nasdaq: PLL) holds a 100% interest in the Piedmont Lithium Project (“Project”) located within the world-class Carolina Tin-Spodumene Belt (“TSB”) and along trend to the Hallman Beam and Kings Mountain mines, historically providing most of the western world’s lithium between the 1950s and the 1980s. The TSB has been described as one of the largest lithium provinces in the world and is located approximately 25 miles west of Charlotte, North Carolina. It is a premier location for development of an integrated lithium business based on its favorable geology, proven metallurgy and easy access to infrastructure, power, R&D centers for lithium and battery storage, major high-tech population centers and downstream lithium processing facilities. Compared to Australian- and Canadian-based projects, North Carolina offers a significantly lower-cost operating environment (labor, power/gas/diesel, transport), which is further boosted by the absence of government royalties and a low tax rate environment. Lithium is on the US Government’s Critical Minerals list, giving the project significant strategic value as being the only conventional US lithium development project.
Webinaire : Innovation et infrastructure - Moteurs de la transition energetiq...Cluster TWEED
Découvrez les opportunités liées aux innovations technologiques et nouvelles infrastructures durables initiées par la transition énergétique, par le biais des présentations du directeur du Innovation & Technology Center de l'Agence internationale pour les énergies renouvelables, et du coordinateur du programme Sustainable Cities and Settlements de la division Energy Systems and Infrastructure de l'UNIDO.
Senator the Honourable Kevin Ramnarine, Minister of Energy and Energy Affairs speech from the Energy Lecture Series 2015 hosted by the Arthur Lok Jack Graduate School of Business on Wed. 12th Auguster 2015.
August 12th 2015
While UK met its 2020 interim target, there is some doubt regarding whether it will meet the overall 2020 target of 15% of energy consumption from renewables. For the time being it seems that the UK will have to make arrangements to count renewable energy produced and used in other member states to achieve its targets. Additionally, recent government decision to remove preliminary accreditation from the Feed-in-tariff, rejection of several renewable projects and Austrian legal action against development of the Hinkley Point nuclear power plant will have an effect on the countries energy future.
Commercial Disputes – Have you got them covered?watsonburton
Commercial Disputes – Have you got them covered?
Slides from Lockton & Watson Burton
Tuesday 2 July 2013
Richard Palmer & Bal Manak - Watson Burton LLP
Michael Farrell & Anthony Place - Lockton Companies LLP
Accelerate your Kubernetes clusters with Varnish CachingThijs Feryn
A presentation about the usage and availability of Varnish on Kubernetes. This talk explores the capabilities of Varnish caching and shows how to use the Varnish Helm chart to deploy it to Kubernetes.
This presentation was delivered at K8SUG Singapore. See https://feryn.eu/presentations/accelerate-your-kubernetes-clusters-with-varnish-caching-k8sug-singapore-28-2024 for more details.
Builder.ai Founder Sachin Dev Duggal's Strategic Approach to Create an Innova...Ramesh Iyer
In today's fast-changing business world, Companies that adapt and embrace new ideas often need help to keep up with the competition. However, fostering a culture of innovation takes much work. It takes vision, leadership and willingness to take risks in the right proportion. Sachin Dev Duggal, co-founder of Builder.ai, has perfected the art of this balance, creating a company culture where creativity and growth are nurtured at each stage.
Search and Society: Reimagining Information Access for Radical FuturesBhaskar Mitra
The field of Information retrieval (IR) is currently undergoing a transformative shift, at least partly due to the emerging applications of generative AI to information access. In this talk, we will deliberate on the sociotechnical implications of generative AI for information access. We will argue that there is both a critical necessity and an exciting opportunity for the IR community to re-center our research agendas on societal needs while dismantling the artificial separation between the work on fairness, accountability, transparency, and ethics in IR and the rest of IR research. Instead of adopting a reactionary strategy of trying to mitigate potential social harms from emerging technologies, the community should aim to proactively set the research agenda for the kinds of systems we should build inspired by diverse explicitly stated sociotechnical imaginaries. The sociotechnical imaginaries that underpin the design and development of information access technologies needs to be explicitly articulated, and we need to develop theories of change in context of these diverse perspectives. Our guiding future imaginaries must be informed by other academic fields, such as democratic theory and critical theory, and should be co-developed with social science scholars, legal scholars, civil rights and social justice activists, and artists, among others.
LF Energy Webinar: Electrical Grid Modelling and Simulation Through PowSyBl -...DanBrown980551
Do you want to learn how to model and simulate an electrical network from scratch in under an hour?
Then welcome to this PowSyBl workshop, hosted by Rte, the French Transmission System Operator (TSO)!
During the webinar, you will discover the PowSyBl ecosystem as well as handle and study an electrical network through an interactive Python notebook.
PowSyBl is an open source project hosted by LF Energy, which offers a comprehensive set of features for electrical grid modelling and simulation. Among other advanced features, PowSyBl provides:
- A fully editable and extendable library for grid component modelling;
- Visualization tools to display your network;
- Grid simulation tools, such as power flows, security analyses (with or without remedial actions) and sensitivity analyses;
The framework is mostly written in Java, with a Python binding so that Python developers can access PowSyBl functionalities as well.
What you will learn during the webinar:
- For beginners: discover PowSyBl's functionalities through a quick general presentation and the notebook, without needing any expert coding skills;
- For advanced developers: master the skills to efficiently apply PowSyBl functionalities to your real-world scenarios.
PHP Frameworks: I want to break free (IPC Berlin 2024)Ralf Eggert
In this presentation, we examine the challenges and limitations of relying too heavily on PHP frameworks in web development. We discuss the history of PHP and its frameworks to understand how this dependence has evolved. The focus will be on providing concrete tips and strategies to reduce reliance on these frameworks, based on real-world examples and practical considerations. The goal is to equip developers with the skills and knowledge to create more flexible and future-proof web applications. We'll explore the importance of maintaining autonomy in a rapidly changing tech landscape and how to make informed decisions in PHP development.
This talk is aimed at encouraging a more independent approach to using PHP frameworks, moving towards a more flexible and future-proof approach to PHP development.
Kubernetes & AI - Beauty and the Beast !?! @KCD Istanbul 2024Tobias Schneck
As AI technology is pushing into IT I was wondering myself, as an “infrastructure container kubernetes guy”, how get this fancy AI technology get managed from an infrastructure operational view? Is it possible to apply our lovely cloud native principals as well? What benefit’s both technologies could bring to each other?
Let me take this questions and provide you a short journey through existing deployment models and use cases for AI software. On practical examples, we discuss what cloud/on-premise strategy we may need for applying it to our own infrastructure to get it to work from an enterprise perspective. I want to give an overview about infrastructure requirements and technologies, what could be beneficial or limiting your AI use cases in an enterprise environment. An interactive Demo will give you some insides, what approaches I got already working for real.
UiPath Test Automation using UiPath Test Suite series, part 4DianaGray10
Welcome to UiPath Test Automation using UiPath Test Suite series part 4. In this session, we will cover Test Manager overview along with SAP heatmap.
The UiPath Test Manager overview with SAP heatmap webinar offers a concise yet comprehensive exploration of the role of a Test Manager within SAP environments, coupled with the utilization of heatmaps for effective testing strategies.
Participants will gain insights into the responsibilities, challenges, and best practices associated with test management in SAP projects. Additionally, the webinar delves into the significance of heatmaps as a visual aid for identifying testing priorities, areas of risk, and resource allocation within SAP landscapes. Through this session, attendees can expect to enhance their understanding of test management principles while learning practical approaches to optimize testing processes in SAP environments using heatmap visualization techniques
What will you get from this session?
1. Insights into SAP testing best practices
2. Heatmap utilization for testing
3. Optimization of testing processes
4. Demo
Topics covered:
Execution from the test manager
Orchestrator execution result
Defect reporting
SAP heatmap example with demo
Speaker:
Deepak Rai, Automation Practice Lead, Boundaryless Group and UiPath MVP
Connector Corner: Automate dynamic content and events by pushing a buttonDianaGray10
Here is something new! In our next Connector Corner webinar, we will demonstrate how you can use a single workflow to:
Create a campaign using Mailchimp with merge tags/fields
Send an interactive Slack channel message (using buttons)
Have the message received by managers and peers along with a test email for review
But there’s more:
In a second workflow supporting the same use case, you’ll see:
Your campaign sent to target colleagues for approval
If the “Approve” button is clicked, a Jira/Zendesk ticket is created for the marketing design team
But—if the “Reject” button is pushed, colleagues will be alerted via Slack message
Join us to learn more about this new, human-in-the-loop capability, brought to you by Integration Service connectors.
And...
Speakers:
Akshay Agnihotri, Product Manager
Charlie Greenberg, Host
Neuro-symbolic is not enough, we need neuro-*semantic*Frank van Harmelen
Neuro-symbolic (NeSy) AI is on the rise. However, simply machine learning on just any symbolic structure is not sufficient to really harvest the gains of NeSy. These will only be gained when the symbolic structures have an actual semantics. I give an operational definition of semantics as “predictable inference”.
All of this illustrated with link prediction over knowledge graphs, but the argument is general.
The Art of the Pitch: WordPress Relationships and SalesLaura Byrne
Clients don’t know what they don’t know. What web solutions are right for them? How does WordPress come into the picture? How do you make sure you understand scope and timeline? What do you do if sometime changes?
All these questions and more will be explored as we talk about matching clients’ needs with what your agency offers without pulling teeth or pulling your hair out. Practical tips, and strategies for successful relationship building that leads to closing the deal.
State of ICS and IoT Cyber Threat Landscape Report 2024 previewPrayukth K V
The IoT and OT threat landscape report has been prepared by the Threat Research Team at Sectrio using data from Sectrio, cyber threat intelligence farming facilities spread across over 85 cities around the world. In addition, Sectrio also runs AI-based advanced threat and payload engagement facilities that serve as sinks to attract and engage sophisticated threat actors, and newer malware including new variants and latent threats that are at an earlier stage of development.
The latest edition of the OT/ICS and IoT security Threat Landscape Report 2024 also covers:
State of global ICS asset and network exposure
Sectoral targets and attacks as well as the cost of ransom
Global APT activity, AI usage, actor and tactic profiles, and implications
Rise in volumes of AI-powered cyberattacks
Major cyber events in 2024
Malware and malicious payload trends
Cyberattack types and targets
Vulnerability exploit attempts on CVEs
Attacks on counties – USA
Expansion of bot farms – how, where, and why
In-depth analysis of the cyber threat landscape across North America, South America, Europe, APAC, and the Middle East
Why are attacks on smart factories rising?
Cyber risk predictions
Axis of attacks – Europe
Systemic attacks in the Middle East
Download the full report from here:
https://sectrio.com/resources/ot-threat-landscape-reports/sectrio-releases-ot-ics-and-iot-security-threat-landscape-report-2024/
Software Delivery At the Speed of AI: Inflectra Invests In AI-Powered QualityInflectra
In this insightful webinar, Inflectra explores how artificial intelligence (AI) is transforming software development and testing. Discover how AI-powered tools are revolutionizing every stage of the software development lifecycle (SDLC), from design and prototyping to testing, deployment, and monitoring.
Learn about:
• The Future of Testing: How AI is shifting testing towards verification, analysis, and higher-level skills, while reducing repetitive tasks.
• Test Automation: How AI-powered test case generation, optimization, and self-healing tests are making testing more efficient and effective.
• Visual Testing: Explore the emerging capabilities of AI in visual testing and how it's set to revolutionize UI verification.
• Inflectra's AI Solutions: See demonstrations of Inflectra's cutting-edge AI tools like the ChatGPT plugin and Azure Open AI platform, designed to streamline your testing process.
Whether you're a developer, tester, or QA professional, this webinar will give you valuable insights into how AI is shaping the future of software delivery.
3. Agenda
• Generation through to sales
• The current generation split
• Sustainability and emissions
• Generation methods: the headlines
• Questions and Voting
4. Power Generation: Overview of the market
• Generation
• Transmission and Distribution
• Supply and Sales
• Regulation
5. Power Generation: The current split
• Fossil Fuels - mainly coal (38%) and natural gas (28%)
• Nuclear – 18%
• Renewables – 13%
• Imports – 3%
6. Power Generation: Sustainability
• £17billion investment (2007-2010)
• 45,000 new jobs
• Carbon emissions
• Zero carbon technologies (40% generated by 2020)
7. 1. Is there any point in
reducing UK emissions
when the likes of Brazil,
Russia, India and China
are not reducing in the
same way?
22. UK Current Electricity Market
• 3 Drivers for Government
– Cost to consumer
– Environmental
– Energy security
• Offgem warning reserve could fall to 2% in 2015
• HMG proposing gas subsidy for gas plants to use as
back up – EU may block
• Lights unlikely to go out because:
– Mothballed gas can be brought into production
– Reduced demand and government intervention
– Growth in renewables
24. Changes In Installed Capacity
•
Over next 6 years
– Reduction of 14GW mainly
base load
– Increase of 17GW mainly
renewables
– +11GW of wind equiv. to
2GW firm
– +3GW biomass
– +3GW CCGT
•
Station closures
– 9 Coal plants 12GW by 2015
– 3 Oil plants 3.5GW by 2015
– 8 Nuclear plants 14GW by
2025
– 4 Gas plants 4.1GW
mothballed
6
Additions Wind Offshore
Additions Wind Onshore
Additions Biomass
Additions CCGT
Closures Biomass
Closures Nuclear
Closures Oil
Closures GT
Closures CCGT
Closures Coal
4
2
0
-2
-4
-6
2013/14
2014/15
2015/16
2016/17
2017/18
2018/19
25. Cost of New Low Carbon Generation
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
New nuclear £92.5/MWh
Hinckley FID 2014
Wave & tidal £350/MWh
Renewables still in early stage
of technology development
Impact on grid cost and
operational
Current grid pricing structure
Sources of funding
26. World Factors
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
China key driver of global oil demand
By 2025 China will be 2X USA oil consumption
Vehicles 2009 China 13.6M – USA 10M
China investing in Future Energy Supplies
China currently consumes 45% of world coal
China only one of a number of growth areas
Kyoto China & India no imposed limits
No. countries have opted out USA, Canada, Russia &
Japan
27. Future UK Power Industry Factors
• Government Electricity Market Reform
• Prediction that UK demand will require capacity of 112GW by
2030
• Capital required £260bn this decade for new capacity and grid
• Renewable energy technologies still early stage
• Smart grids
– 200,000 X 40kW cars = 8GW storage
– Timing of appliances
– Micro-renewables
• New technologies required CCS & shale gas
Good morning everybodyThis section of the event is going to provide a brief context of the energy market in the UK and provide an introduction to some of the topics to be covered by our speakers in the next session – this may be covering familiar ground for you, but will hopefully serve as a useful refresher.In terms of an agenda:We’ll look briefly at the energy process from generation through to sales;Then we’ll look at the current split between generation methods, establishing where our current supplies are coming from;We’ll touch briefly on sustainability and emissions (but will not go into too much detail as I know this is a topic some of our speakers will want to comment on);and then finally, we’ll look at some headline points concerning each generation methodThere will also be an opportunity for you to have your say and we’ll be asking you to vote on a series of questions relating to energy generation in this session – and you should have in your packs a voting card with one side coloured green for a “yes” answer and one side coloured red for a “no” answer.
OK, so turning to GENERATION,Most electricity is generated at power stations connected to the national transmission network. However, electricity can also be generated in smaller scale power stations which are connected to the regional distribution networks. The number and type of power stations built are the decision of each individual company based on market signals and government policy at the time. It’s important to note at this point that electricity cannot be stored - it is used as it is generated or it is lost.A further essential point to appreciate is that demand for electricity is not constant – demand varies significantly through the day,the week and seasonally.Therefore the system has to be in a position where it can react almost immediately to changes in demand. Not all electricity generating systems are able to react quickly. For example Nuclear is either on or its off and wind power can only generate in the correct weather conditions. On the other hand, coal and gas can react quickly and are used to meet demand over and above base needs. This all goes to highlight that a diverse and flexible fuel mix is essential in the UK.Turning to TRANSMISSION and DISTRIBUTION:There are two types of electricity network: transmission and distribution. Transmission networks carry electricity long distances around the country at high voltages. Distribution networks run at lower voltages and take electricity from the transmission system into homes and businesses.The transmission system is run by National Grid, which is responsible for balancing the system and making sure that the supply of electricity meets the demand on a second-by-second basis. Similar infrastructure exists for the transmission and distribution of gas.In relation to SUPPLY and SALES:96% of the UK’s electricity is generated by 6 companies (who you will have seen featured in the news recently) – the ownership of the Big 6 as they have become known rests in four countries: the UK, Germany, France and Spain.No doubt we will be dealing with questions about the operation of the big 6 later in the morning, so we won’t go into too much detail in this session.Finally, there is the issue of REGULATION:The electricity and gas markets are regulated by the Gas and Electricity Markets Authority, operating through the Office of Gas and Electricity Markets (Ofgem). Ofgem's role is to protect the interest of consumers by promoting competition where appropriate, and Ofgem issues companies with licences to carry out activities in the electricity and gas sectors, it sets the levels of return which the monopoly networks companies can make, and decides on changes to market rules.
In the UK energy is generated in a number of different ways. As we noted, it is important to have a mix of fuel sources and technologies so that there is not an over reliance on one particular form of generation.The main fuel source used in the UK is FOSSIL FUELS, mainly coal and natural gas. As of today, Coal is accounting for 38% of generation and natural gas is accounting for 28%.Second in generation capacity to fossil fuels is NUCLEAR, accounting for 18% of demand, and whilst the programme for closing down historic nuclear power stations continues, the Government has significant plans for nuclear power and has announced its intention to build a new £16bn plant at Hinckley (with the investment from France and China).RENEWABLES:Renewable Fuel sources include wind, wave, marine, hydro, biomass and solar. Renewablesmade up 7% of electricity generated in 2010 and has grown to 13% in 2013 - this is expected to rise as the UK aims to meet its EU target of generating 30% of its electricity from renewable sources by 2020.Finally, it is worth mentioning briefly the energy which the UK IMPORTS.The UK electricity network is connected to systems in France and Ireland, and the UK uses these to import or export electricity when it is most economical, and in 2010, the UK imported just under 1% of its energy
OK, now turning to the issue of SUSTAINABILITY:The energy industry is an important player in the UK economy. Between 2008 and 2010, £17 billion was invested in theUK economy and 45,000 new jobs were created in the energy sector.The issue of CARBON EMISSIONS is at the forefront of energy generation in the UK, and energy companies are committed to cutting their carbon emissions and have pledged to become carbon neutral by 2050.These commitments will help to meet the UK's climate change targets, but a large amount of investment in new, low carbon power stations will also be needed. Emissions from the electricity sector have fallen by 16% since 1990 and are expected to continue to fall. By 2020, zero carbon technologies are expected to produce 40% of our electricity.
GREEN = OK, so there is a majority in favour of committing to reducing emissionsRED = OK, so there is a majority against reducing emissions until other countries commit at the same levels as the UKSPLIT = OK, so there is mixed opinion as to whether we should be reducing emissions until other countries commit at the same level as the UK
WE ARE NOW GOING TO TAKE A VERY QUICK LOOK AT SOME HEADLINE ISSUES ON THE VARIOUS TYPES OF ENERGY PRODUCTION IN THE UK, STARTING WITH COAL.With regard to supply, Coal accounted for 38% of electricity generation in the UK in 2012 - this is up from 29% in 2011, primarily as the price of coal was more stable in relation to gas.Presently, around 41% of electricity in the UK comes from coal-burning power stations. However, a third of these power stations are expected to close by 2016 so that they meet EU air quality legislation. This means that the UK will become less reliant on coal as a source of energy and will need to look at alternative energy sources.In terms of our export and import mix, the UK import more than twice the amount of coal we mine in the UK, and around 7.1 billion tonnes of coal were used worldwide last year, and since 2000, global coal consumption has grown faster than any other fuel.So as to address environmental issues, a new technology called Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) is being developed to remove carbon dioxide from power station emissions and store it underground - the Government has announced £1bnof funding will be made available for the first CCS demonstration project.
GREEN = OK, so there is a majority in favour of continuing to use coal as part of the energy mixRED = OK, so there is a majority in favour of taking coal out of the UK energy mixSPLIT = OK, so there is mixed opinion as to whether we should be taking coal out of the UK energy mix
OK, now turning to look at headline points concerning OIL and GAS generation.The UK obtains its gas from three main sources: North and Irish Sea, pipelines from continental Europe and Norway, and by shipments of Liquefied Natural Gas from around the world.Gas from fields in the North and Irish Sea typically provide around 40% of gas supplies. However production from these fields is now in decline and the UK is importing increasing amounts of gas from abroad.With regard to price, gas is currently costing twice as much as coal, and the issue of security of supply is likely to affect the price further.Storage is an import issue when considering gas generation. Currently, the UK has over 4billion cubic metres of storage capacity that can be called upon to deliver over one quarter of national gas demand on any day. With regard to employment, over 400,000 people are employed in the oil and gas industry in the UK, which is obviously a major national employer.
GREEN = OK, so there is a majority in favour of continuing to focus on oil and gas as part of a long term energy solution for the UKRED = OK, so there is a majority against oil and gas forming any long term energy solution for the UKSPLIT = OK, so there is mixed opinion as to whether oil and gas should form part of the long term energy solution for the UK
Supply: Around 20% of UK energy is being generated by nuclear power, across 19 reactors located on 10 different sites £930bn worldwide investment in nuclear powerEmployment: 40,000Risk / SafetyNew nuclear plant at Hinckley – will cost around £14bn, to be operational in 2023 and to have a life of 60 years.
GREEN = OK, so there is a majority in favour of Government’s plans to have 25% of energy generation from nuclear sourcesRED = OK, so there is a majority against nuclear playing a significant part of energy generation in the UKSPLIT = OK, so there is mixed opinion as to whether nuclear should form 25% of the UK’s energy requirement
The UK’s location, with shallow seas and strong winds, makes offshore wind an ideal technology for generating power and an important part of the mix helping Britain to meet its 2020 renewable energy target. OFFSHOREOffshore wind also supports a UK supply chain and exports expertise all over the world. During construction over 75 organisations with 6700 individuals were involved. The EMR delivery plan shows that offshore wind has the potential to deliver 16GW by 2020 and up to 39GW by 2030The UK is the world leader in offshore wind, and is likely to remain as such until 2020One of the key factors in the development of UK Offshore Wind will be bringing down cost of the technologyLatest large projects include the London Array, with a 630MW capacity and a 1.9bn investment. DONG Energy, E.On and Masdar have built the world’s largest offshore wind farmONSHOREPlagued by planning objections and contentious with the public Recent large projects include Tallentire Wind Farm nr Cockermouth with a capacity of 12MW, costing 2.1MWind farms dent house prices (Daily Telegraph, October 31, 2013)Britain can't afford to throw money at wind power (Sunday Telegraph June 30, 2013)Currently 4,000 jobs in sector, expected to grow to 30,000 by 2020.
GREEN = OK, so there is a majority in favour of onshore wind powerRED = OK, so there is a majority against onshore wind powerSPLIT = OK, so there is mixed opinion as to the use of onshore wind power
Bentley– The UKs largest rooftop solar PV array was completed. It creates a 5MW installation that can supply 40% of Bentley’s power requirement at peak times.Bridge creates 1.1MW at a cost of 7.3M, but will supply 50% of Blackfriars station’s energy needs.Solar PV has a number of advantages;• Versatile and scalable – can be developed in a wide range of locations including domestic and commercial buildings• Can be developed and installed very quickly• Sun is free!Key to the increase will be the reduction in costs and perhaps consistency in schemes such as FITS. Current capacity is 2.4GW with potential for 7-20GW by 2020.Accounts for about 3% of renewable electricity generation, with the majority being used in domestic applications Recent large schemes include Bentley Motor factory and the world’s largest solar bridge was created across the ThamesIn the Roadmap 2012 (DECC) solar PV was included as one of the key renewable energy technologies that can help to create a balanced UK energy mix. Solar farms are a shining example of renewable energy (The Journal October 30, 2013)
GREEN = OK, so there is a majority in favour of continuing to develop solar energy productionRED = OK, so there is a majority against the use of solar energySPLIT = OK, so there is mixed opinion as to whether solar energy has a future in the UK